My Silver Lining
by Ling-Yao-In-A-Mini-Skirt
Summary: She wasn't the Elric's long lost sister or Roy Mustang's beautiful daughter, or even an Alchemist. She wasn't a cliche in a story full of happy romance and tied up endings. Her face wasn't beautiful in a way that caught attention, her body was one meant for survival. She was a war-torn Ishavlan girl with PTSD who had to carry on best she could. *Open for full summary*
1. The Ishvalan And The Chimeras

**_~ My Silver Lining ~_**

**She wasn't the Elric's long lost sister or Roy Mustang's beautiful daughter, or even an Alchemist. **

**She wasn't a cliche in a story full of happy romance and tied up endings. Her face wasn't beautiful in a way that caught attention, her body was one meant for survival. **

**She was a worn-torn Ishavlan girl with PTSD who had to carry on best she could. **

**This story isn't just about this one girl, the stories of others are changed as she brings forth the past. The stories of those around her are opened, the pages of their past re-visited and deeply felt. **

**The connections she makes are not always good, there is hatred woven deep within the Ishvalan girl who had lost all she every wanted - People that stayed by her side. **

**All she wanted was family and revenge but the day Greed orders a small group of Chimeras to find Alphonse Elric and bring him back to Devil's Nest she gets more than she ever expected. **

* * *

"_NO! PLEASE NO! WAKE UP! MAMA! PAPA! OH GOD NO! YOU CAN'T – I NEED YOU! I HAVE NO-ONE LEFT! I DON'T WANT TO DIE ALONE!" _

_The small Ishvalan child screamed, her voice hoarse and her throat tasting of blood. She opened her eyes, hot tears running down her face like a never-ending waterfall she'd once read about in a book she had found in the wreckage of a town. The child moved her red eyes to stare at her legs and cried the louder when she only saw blood and bone – her legs, they were gone. The right half of her face burnt more so then the left, her right eye felt as if someone was burning the liquid from inside it. _

"_I don't want to die." She murmured hopelessly, pain filled her voice – it filled every sense she had. _

_The child reached down to pat her dress, searching for something in the pocket. A small silver lighter dropped to the ground with a small 'clink'. A salamander adorned the lighter, the carving was beautiful and obviously hand drawn there. She had received it from a soldier on the battlefield, the Ishvalan had run away from her parents after hearing cries form her people, she ran in fear and bumped into a rather handsome, broken type of man. He sat with her in secret for possibly only three minutes, he stroked her hair timidly. His hand shook as if he thought he was going to hurt the child from simply touching her. He let the child fiddle with the lighter, she was fascinated by the carving and the feel of the silver. The girl had heard her parent's screams for her – see this little girl had enhanced senses, curtesy of living and hiding underground with no light – and she had run to them, still clutching the lighter in her small palms. _

_Once the girl had finally gotten hold of the lighter with steady hands she flicked the side of it and a flame appeared. She struggled to sit forward but once she had a clear few of her legs – well, the stumps where her legs were – she brought the flame to them and tried to burn the wounds shut. She screamed and cried, the taste of iron in the mouth became overwhelming and she vomited on the ground beside her. But soon enough, despite the pain, the stumps had been burnt shut. Her body dropped to the ground, her breathe shallow and eyes heavy. Before black covered her vision, the child took once last glance at the destroyed bodies of her parents._

* * *

"_Fuck! Martel, come here!" _

"_What is it Docletto!? We're trying to get out of this fucking country and you – "_

"_Shut up for one second! It's a little kid! Come here!"_

"_Jesus Christ…."_

"_She's alive!"_

"_Roa help me bandage up those stumps, I'll use my shirt."_

"_What about her face? Her eye – Fuck, it's gone and that whole half of her face is probably infected."_

"_Martel…"_

"_We'll wrap my jacket around the stumps, it'll be softer on the wounds. And we'll use your shirt to bandage up her face, it'll be lighter."_

"_Right!" _

"_Good boy! Wanna treat?"_

"_JUST HELP ME SAVE THIS RUNT!"_

* * *

_The small girl slowly opened her eyes – well eye – her right eye stung, and she was having trouble seeing with her left but she could clearly make out the desert._

"_Docletto, she's awake." She head a gruff male voice announce._

"_Uh? She is? Hey kid, you alright?" The second voice sounded closer, it startled the child and she whipped her head to look around, her body became alert and her senses quickly began to work. _

_She was being carried by some shirtless man who was grinning down at her with a dog-like smile, her eyes widened and she tried to scramble out of his grasp. _

"_You scared her you idiot!" A woman yelled._

"_I didn't mean to!"_

"_I can't believe she can move like that." The first male voice said. _

"_Yeah, you'd think with her injuries she'd be out for months – maybe years." The female voice agreed._

_Injuries? _

"_AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH" The child yelled, she groaned in pain and flopped back into the dog man's arms. _

_Docletto was trying to stop himself from snickering as Martel and Roa stared at the child. _

"_My family – "_

"_I'm sorry kid." The man holding her gripped her tighter, only slightly but enough for her to notice. _

"_I really do have no-one." _

"_We can be your family!" The dog-man announced suddenly. _

"_Stop yelling!" The woman scolded. She turned to look down at the Ishvalan and a soft look came over her features. "You see, as it happens us three don't have anyone either. We'll be your family, if you'll be ours."_

"_Who are you?" _

"_My name's Martel, the big idiot carrying you is Docletto and that big guy over there, is Roa. Who are you sweetie?"_

"_I am – My name is – I do not – I do not recall." _

"_That's alright," Martel comforted. The child was so young, too young. She looked around 9 or 10 and although all children had perfect grasp of their names by the time they were 2 this child clearly had no recollection of it. Perhaps her brain had taken a hit due to the war? Or maybe her parents never told her? Or maybe, just maybe, she really had just forgotten. _

"_For now," Martel began. "Until you remember, your name will be 'Tauriel'. Is that alright?"_

_Docletto and Roa had stopped walking, they'd never seen Martel this soft before, this open to feeling. _

"_I like it." Tauriel whispered, her voice had finally given out and her eyes finally shut. She wasn't content but she wasn't dead…She wasn't old enough to question whether that was a good thing or not. _

"_Martel, I –" _

"_KEEP WALKING!"_

"_OKAY!" "OKAY!"_

"_OH AND IF YOU DROP TAURIEL I'LL KILL YOU!"_

"_AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH"_

* * *

"Hey kid, you alright?"

"I'm 16, I'm not a 'kid' anymore. Just because you're an old fart – "

"I AM NOT YOU BRAT!"

"OH GO PISS ON A BUSH YOU MUT!"

"I DID THAT ONCE! ONCE!"

"You both are such children."

"HEY!" "HEY!"

"She's ~riiiiight~!"

"Bido I swear to God."

Laughter filtered through the room.

"Tauriel I'm sorry!" Bido chuckled as he looked at the young woman sitting on a crate.

A cigarette hung from her lips as she stared at Bido with mock distain before her face split into a wide grin.

"Oh I could never stay mad at you!"

"I knew it!"

Bido and Tauriel ran towards each other and hugged, rubbing their faces together in affection.

"How come you're never that cute with me?" Docletto asked with his arms crossed.

"What have you done for me?"

"I CARRIED YOU FOR MONTHS IN MY ARMS! YOU KICKED ME IN THE FACE AND I DIDN'T DROP YOU!"

"Oh yeah." Tauriel deadpanned.

Martel laughed as Docletto stared at Tauriel is shock, his jaw dropped and his eye twitched as Tauriel went back to hugging Bido.

"Glad to see you're all having fun." A strong, laid-back voice chuckled.

"Greed!" Tauriel exclaimed. A smile spread over her face.

"You all ready to get me my immortality?"

"You mean kidnap a stranger because you THINK it'll be the secret to immortality." Tauriel grinned.

Greed waved his hand.

"Details, details." A toothy grin shined. "I'll be waiting for you return."

Roa, Martel, Docletto and Tauriel all nodded.

They owed their lives to Greed, they'd do anything for him.

* * *

"_Well, well what do we have here?"_

_Docletto stared at the man who stood in front of them. The man looked about in his mid-forties, handsome but cunning. A furry neck vest, along with a tight shirt and tight pants showed off the muscles that adorned his body – the group readied themselves for whatever was to come as Tauriel stared at the man in curiosity, her head tilted to the side studying him with her left eye. _

"_You all look oddly suspicious." The man laughed a little. _

_And they did._

_A beautiful, scary looking woman, a short man carrying a sword and a large, muscle man who looked like he could murder six people. The short man, Greed noticed, was pushing a small girl in a wheelchair. The child looked around 10, maybe younger but Greed didn't care. She was dressed in miss-matched clothes with a light blue blanket covering her legs, and a bandage – Greed could see – covering her right eye and half of her face. A black beanie shielded her hair and sun-glasses covered her eyes. _

"_You can try and fight us." Docletto laughed. "But you won't win."_

_Greed cackled. "Oh, really now?"_

_Docletto sent a toothy grin the man's way. "We've got skills you'd never win against."_

_An intrigued expression filtered onto Greed's face. "Oh please do tell me."_

"_Chimeras." Greed whistled._

_They sat in a bar, an old run-down bar in Dublith. _

"_And what can she do?" Greed pointed to Tauriel._

"_She's smart as hell." Docletto answered. He tightened his fist, Greed noticed, he was ready to attack._

_Greed hummed and looked away from the child._

"_If you give me some legs, I can show you what I can do." Tauriel stated. A small smile tweaked at her lips. She didn't look at Greed, her head was facing forwards. _

"_Where did you find this one?" Greed grinned. _

_Tauriel slipped off her sunglasses, her red left eye finally stared at Greed. "Ishval." She answered. "My legs are probably still there."_

_Greed laughed, he covered his mouth as he stood up to kneel in front of the small Ishvalan child. He pulled the blue blanket off her lap, bandages wrapped tightly around the stumps where her legs should be. He looked up and was fascinated by the grin Tauriel sent his way._

"_Pretty cool, right?" _

_Greed stood back up, patted his knees down and grinned at the three former Amestrian soldiers. "Let's go get this girl some legs."_

"_And an eye." Roa added. "Her right eye was completely melted when we found her."_

* * *

_Greed payed for Tauriel's Automail legs and glass eye. He wanted to test the girl's ability as soon as possible so after the Automail had been attached, he took the girl to his apartment and dropped only a small sliver of his Philosopher Stone into the girl's blood running down to her legs. Greed held out a hand and told her to stand. Tauriel gripped the side of her wheelchair and pushed herself forwards onto her new legs, she felt no pain and she cried. She cried hard and hoarse. It seemed she had cried nearly every day since she was taken from Ishavl. There was a time when Tauriel liked to have thought she was strong. _

"_You'll need to stop doing that." Greed advised. "Crying, I mean."_

_The sobbing subsided as Tauriel's eyes locked with Greed's. One red iris and one silver, Automail orb. _

"_Okay."_

* * *

_Greed took control of Devil's Nest, he made his men refurnish it and he grinned as he watched his hide-out being made. _

_They soon found more Chimeras, Bido joined them. _

_It wasn't the family Tauriel had when she was younger. Her mother cried all the time and her father did all he could to save his family, even if it meant forsakening the rest of the Ishvalan people. She didn't remember a time when they were happy, when her family said her name with happiness. She doesn't remember a time her mother and father said her name at all. _

_The Devil's Nest gang were her family, she decided. _

_They were fucked up, broken, crazy, alcoholic, mercenaries who didn't care for people outside their own circle. _

_(Okay maybe they weren't that different from the family she had when she was younger)._

* * *

"That's him?" Docletto asked as they stood atop a tall building in Dublith.

"Yes," Tauriel drawled. "How many giant suits of armour do you see on a daily basis?"

"Sarcastic little bitch." Docletto muttered.

"Will you two quit it?" Martel groaned.

"We do have mission to accomplish." Roa added.

"Kid here will slow us down." Docletto nodded to Tauriel.

"Oh really? Okay, I'll let you handle the suit of armour. And when you fuck up, I'll swoop in and save the day."

"YOU WANNA BET!?"

"I WANNA BET!"

"I'll cut both of you if you don't shut up." Martel threatened.

Tauriel stood up and kicked Docletto off the roof, she waved him off as he hit the ground.

"Go be a good Dog and do as you're told." Tauriel shouted down to him.

"You'll have to buy me a drink when I get this guy you runt!" Docletto promised before he run off.

Roa and Martel followed as Tauriel jumped from building to building, keeping an eye on the trio.

* * *

"How did I know?"

Martel and Roa stood up with matching grins as Tauriel walked in the mess of fighting.

"Sit down Dog-boy and let me handle this."

Docletto huffed but jumped away from the armour.

Roa, Martel and Docletto hadn't been able to get close to the armour. He'd cut them off by this Alchemic attacks. Tauriel had been excited when she'd seen the Alchemy.

This guy had no idea what was coming.

Tauriel ran towards Alphonse Elric. He threw Alchemic attack, after Alchemic attack at the girl who only looked about Ed's age but she dodged them all. Al gasped as she did. It was if she sensed where the attacks were going to go, she jumped off them, away from them, kicked them and broke them into pieces. She jumped at Al and kicked him in the chest pushing him down on the ground.

"Martel! Do your thing!" Tauriel laughed.

Within a second Al couldn't move. That Martel woman had complete control over him.

'But how!? That girl – how did she know where my attacks were going to be? She defeated me without breaking a sweat - !"

Tauriel strode over to where Al's helmet had landed, she picked it up and stared at it with an emotionless expression. Al was surprised when she put the helmet atop her beanie covered head.

"Hey Dol, how cool does this looks?"

"CAN YOU BE SERIOUS FOR ONE SECOND?!"

* * *

***First chapter of my very first fanfic! **

**I hope you guys like Tauriel, I'm very proud of her as a character and her upcoming development (I've written a few chapters so far). **

**Tell me what you like! What you hate!**

**Thank you xoxox* **


	2. The Devil's Nest Family

Alphonse really couldn't help but stare at the girl who had completely bested him.

She was leading on the wall next to the crate Docletto had perched himself on. He lit a pipe, upon seeing this the girl took out a pack of smokes out of her pocket. She placed a cigarette in her mouth and leaned slightly to the side to Docletto could light it.

Al was slightly shocked at that, the girl only seemed to be Ed's age. Although Al didn't really have a good view. The girl's face was completely covered by a large beanie and large sunglasses. He could, however, see her dark skin as she was wearing a loose black singlet with her black jeans. Scars littered her shoulders. Al could see the beginnings on large, ugly scars that winded down her back.

The younger Elric never had a problem with the military, unlike Ed who seemed to only hate it to spite Colonel Mustang. But as Martel and Docletto told him of the experiments the military did on them to make them into chimeras, Al couldn't help but feel a boiling hot rage swell within his thoughts.

"What animal is she fused with?" Al asked without thinking, he was staring at the dark-skinned girl. She didn't bother to face him as she kept her gaze straight.

Docletto laughed loudly, howled almost.

"The kid here ain't a Chimera! She's just that good." Docletto grinned at Tauriel who had now turned to face Al.

"You're awfully curious." Tauriel said. Her voice sounded throaty, as if she'd been screaming for too long. "You look like you'd be more mature, how very rude of you to ask such a thing."

Silence overtook the room. Dead, dull, horrible silence. Al gulped. Tauriel's mouth was set in a straight line as she looked Al over.

Docletto broke the silence with an accusing shout.

"You're one to talk! You can't talk about maturity when you've stolen my clothes every time I have a shower for a month!"

Al was certain Tauriel was going to hit the man, or at least glare at him. But instead she laughed. The young Alchemist was shocked to hear the loud, childish laugh.

"That doesn't count because you're an easy target and that prank's a classic!"

"THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAD TO DO IT!"

"MAYBE IF YOU WEREN'T SUCH AN EASY TARGET, I WOULDN'T HAVE!"

"MAYBE IF YA WEREN'T SUCH A BITCH I WOULND'T HAVE TO KEEP LOOKIN' OUT FOR YA WHEN I WANT TO FUCKIN' GET CLEAN!"

"YOU MUTT, YOU'RE NEVER CLEAN! YOU PISS ON ONE LEG FOR CHRISTS SAKE!"

"THAT HAPPENED ONE TIME!"

"We found her." Al heard Martel say, her voice softer than he'd ever heard it.

Docletto and Tauriel stopped their arguing in favour of looking over at Al and Martel, who was sitting inside Al's armour.

"We found her when she was little, and now it's our responsibility to look after her."

Tauriel looked down, her hands clenched into fists and her shoulders tense.

"I never asked to be your responsibility, I can look after myself just fine."

Docletto growled.

"YOU IDIOT!" The short Chimera hit the young girl over the head, his eyes narrowed and his teeth barred. "YOU'LL ALWAYS BE OUR RESPONSIBILITY! EVEN IF YOU'RE THE STRONGEST PERSON ALIVE!"

Tauriel was silent. Her hands slowly un-clenched and her shoulders dropped.

"You – "Tauriel started. Her voice broke off, trembled even as her unsaid words set off a memory for the dog chimera, a memory of a little girl with no legs and no hope.

Docletto stepped closer to the girl, a soft looking coming over his features in an instant.

"YOU DUNCE THAT HURT!" Tauriel exploded. She stomped on Docletto's foot, who then screeched in pain.

"YOU BRAT!"

"DON'T HIT ME AGAIN!"

Al couldn't help but laugh, he chuckled softly. Those two – they reminded him of Ed, they seemed to have the same relationship in a way to Ed and Colonel Mustang. They were too stubborn to admit their concern for each other.

"They're like brother and sister." Al commented.

"They might as well be." Martel agreed, Al could hear the smile that found a way to her full lips. "We're all family here."

Al felt strange. He had thought these people were nothing but bandits but they were just like Ed and he. They had their problems, their devils and they had each other.

"My, are Docletto and Tauriel fighting – again?" A deep, flippant voice smirked.

"They always are." Roa deadpanned as he stalked inside with the man who had an aura of dominance and danger.

"You two – "A dark look covered the man's face. "Should stop arguing like children."

"WHAAAT!" Docletto roared comically. "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO LAUGHED WHEN THIS BRAT STOLE MY CLOTHES!"

"That's because the prank is a classic." The man chortled.

Tauriel grinned, she and the man then high-fived each other as Docletto groaned in despair.

Al didn't know whether to laugh or to try and run, he was confused to say the least. The man that had walked in – he had this presence that, if he had a body, Al was sure would make him shiver in fear.

His face, which was angular and sharp, was handsome in an odd way – a weird way, Al thought like only a child could. The man seemed so normal - his body was lean and muscular, and an ever-present smirk played at his thin lips that appeared to comfort the devil's nest patrons but unnerved the younger Elric brother deeply. Al nearly wrote off the man as simply a criminal but a mark on the back of his left hand caught the Alchemist's eye.

_The ouroboros tattoo!_

Fear.

Al was glad for a moment that he couldn't feel things as he knew fear would have frozen his entire person if he could.

"You – you – that mark, on your hand – you're – "

The man grinned.

"Oh? So you know about this?" He lifted his hand, displaying the tattoo like a prize.

"The name's Greed. Now tell me kid, how do you know about this little tattoo here?"

"I – Well I met a stranger with the same mark in Central."

"Central?" Greed laughed. "Mmm was it that hag Lust? Or that idiot Sloth? Actually, don't answer – I really don't care."

"You people – you're evil, aren't you?"

"Well," Greed waved his hand dismissively as if the question was boring and unwarranted. "I'm not a good person, that's for sure. But evil? Now, now, isn't that a strong word?"

"You really are a curious boy, aren't you?" Tauriel's voice was soft, kind even Al would think. A dark smile covered her lips in split second, her personality changed before Al's eyes. "It's kind of annoying." Darkness was all her voice was, it covered what Al could see of her face, it took over her person and her aura was threatening.

Greed smiled lightly and laid a hand on the young girl's shoulder, the tension that had filled the room filtered out as Tauriel turned her head to an angel to stare at Greed.

"It's alright." That was all Greed had to say to make Tauriel nod, take a step back and calm down. Her hand's un-clenched and hands slipped off the array of pistols on her hips to drop to her side.

"Why do you want me?" Al inquired, his gaze never leaving Tauriel.

"I want immortality. It's all I've ever wanted – along with Money! Women! Power! Fame! Anything this world as to offer, I want it! And with immortality – I have all the time in the world to gain everything. And you, my dear friend have the ability to give me that. Your soul is attached to that armour, you can't die – you can't be killed. Now, if I had that….well, the world would be mine. You will work with us to help me achieve immortality, or we'll have to force you to. Your choice pal."

Tauriel felt a sharp bolt of pain shoot up her back. An image of pure white desert with streaks of blood red broke into her mind, it broke the wall she'd made to make her strong, and it took over her body as her mind reeled.

"You really are a bad guy." Al murmured.

Before the sparks of alchemic energy appeared Tauriel jumped in front of Greed and brought her leg up to kick the stone arm that Al had thought would finish everything. The stone broke into pieces, it scattered around the room as Tauriel had to suppress a snarl.

"Darlin'," Greed sighed. "Why'd you go and do that?"

The dark look on Tauriel's face disappeared, she looked around as if she had just finally realised where she was and she wasn't where she thought she was. For first time since Al had met her, Tauriel looked like small, lost child.

"Thought I was somewhere else." Tauriel finally got out. Her eyes seemed dazed but she managed to send a grin Docletto's way, who had stepped forward in concern for the young girl.

"It's alright." Greed repeated. He marched over to Al and kicked him to the ground, anger written all over his sharp features. "It wouldn't have mattered if you'd had hit me anyway."

"Oh wait." Greed lifted Al up a little and laughed lightly. "Sorry Martel, forgot you were inside."

Al had never been so horribly outnumbered before. When Tauriel had first dodged his attacks, Al maybe thought it was just a luck but now he knew, the dark skinned girl could sense alchemy.

"News flash boy, it'll take more than that to even leave a mark on me."

Tauriel looked on as Roa smashed the boss' face completely off, she'd seen it before – it was a party trick Greed used to scare off people who annoyed him. When Tauriel had first witnessed it she'd only been a small child, just came back from Ishaval where blood and death was all she saw – in short, she'd screamed when Greed had first commanded Roa to hit him. Martel had to calm her down, as she chocked on air and struggled to breathe. But she'd grown. The same things didn't haunt her as they once did, but alchemy would always cause her to be dragged back into the war that had taken so much from her.

"I'm an Homunculus." Greed's voice pulled her back from her memories.

"I'm built to be tough but I can die."

_Idiot!_ Tauriel sighed inwardly. _ Don't give away your fucking secret to a little kid. _

"If you don't tell me how you got your soul attached to that armour….Well I'll just have to find the person you did it and ask him."

"Oh…Well, that's my brother Edward but….He isn't here right now."

"OH!" Docletto turned red as he stared at Greed.

Greed's eyes bugged out of his head as he pointed at himself and looked between Al and Tauriel.

"Did I say something I shouldn't have?"

"He might look giant but the kid's only 14 Greed." Tauriel informed the Homunculus.

"Yeah he might still be sensitive." Docletto added appearing by the girl's side.

The gang turned around and stared nervously at the boy in the armour.

"I uh don't know what to say." Greed rubbed the back of his head.

"Uh cheer up….okay?" Roa tried to sound comforting.

_They seem to think you're dead brother. _Al thought with a mixture of amusement and confusion.

* * *

***Ah yes finally, the Elric brothers. **

**I have such amazing ideas for Tauriel's connection to the Elrics.**

**Oh and I hope you love Docletto and Tauriel's brother/sister relationship! I adore it!***


	3. The Beats Of Dublith

"Someone's here."

Greed looked up as Tauriel's voice filtered through the room.

"How do you know?" Docletto asked, his hand settling on his sword knowing that Tauriel was never wrong with these sorts of warnings.

"The Alchemy – it's in the bar, coming closer I – you guys might want to take a step back from the boy for a moment."

"She's right." Al shivered. "The one thing I'm afraid of – she's here."

They waited and sure enough a pretty older woman came stomping into the room.

"WHO'RE YOU?" Some of the men shouted.

"I'M A HOUSEWIFE!" The woman yelled.

Tauriel grinned, _what an interesting women._

The Ishvalan stepped forward but Greed stopped her.

"Let the chimera's handle this."

"You mean let the chimera's get beaten?"

"You can analyse her strength, sense out her weakness then – well then my dear, you can kill her."

Tauriel watched on as the woman in white beat the Chimera's of the devil's nest gang.

"Now that wasn't very nice." Greed tutted.

Tauriel walked over to Docletto and pulled him up off the ground by his collar.

"Up boy." She commanded.

"Shut up brat." Docletto spit out blood, he grabbed hold of Tauriel's arm to pull himself up properly.

"Why do you want my pupil?" The woman asked, strangely calm.

"I don't want to hurt him if that's what you mean, I only want a fair trade."

"I don't think so." The woman's hand flew out and punched Greed's cheek, the audible sound of bones cracking filled the otherwise silent room.

"That was a bad idea." Greed berated. "I imagine your hand hurts quite a bit now."

"You have an interesting body." The woman hissed out.

"You're not the only woman who've said that." Greed suggestively mused. "But now doll, just hear me out. I want a fair trade. I want the secret to Al's soul attachment to this body and in exchange I'll let the kid go."

"Why should I listen to someone like you?!"

"Master please!" Al interrupted. "Please bring brother here! Everything will be okay, just please bring Ed here."

Tauriel could smell the anger that radiated off the woman, her hand's clenched and the young girl could sense the want of alchemy. She walked calmly in front of Greed to stand before the Alchemist.

"Your student here is pretty smart for a tin-can. I'd really listen to him if I were you."

"You – I'm Izumi." The woman introduced.

"As if I care." Tauriel snorted.

"You're only a child – what are you? 15? 16? Why are you standing in front of that monster?"

"I'd give my life for that monster." Tauriel laughed.

"Yes but would he give his life for you?"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

It was the first time Al had seen Greed become angry, his eyes glowed red and his pointy teeth were barred, his muscles tightened and a grey shield like skin moved up his arms.

"I think we have a deal missy, so get the kid's brother and I'll give you Al. I think it's time you leave."

"I need to say one more thing." Izumi casted one last look at Tauriel before turning around. "If you hurt either Ed or Al, I will kill every last one of you!"

The silence was overwhelming.

"I like your teacher!" Greed forced a laugh out of his throat.

"Oh uh…thank you."

* * *

"You alright El?" Roa asked quietly.

Tauriel lifted her head up slightly. She was sitting on a crate in the room, her legs crossed and her hands clasped together. She ignored the bigger man and turned her head to face Greed.

"You all need to leave."

"You aren't still hung up on what that woman said, are you?" Greed questioned.

"The kid's brother will be here soon, I haven't had a good fight in a while. He is a good fight, isn't he Alphonse?"

"Yes." Al answered strongly. "He's the youngest state Alchemist in history."

"A prodigy uh?" Tauriel grinned. "And a military dog. I'm gonna love this."

Greed gazed at Tauriel for a short while, his eyes never leaving her face – which was now faced ahead of her, Greed could only look at the side of her head and the corner of her grin. Something passed across his face – pride maybe? Concern? It was gone before even Greed himself could name it.

"Alright boys, you heard her. Let's give our little genius a proper fight."

Greed passed Tauriel as she sat on the crate, a hand briefly touched her shoulder as he nodded at Docletto and Roa to get Al.

"Have fun." Greed said.

"You know I will." Tauriel answered.

* * *

"WHERE IS HE?!"

Tauriel blocked her ears as a small blonde boy came stalking into the room. He was handsome, pretty even with his sun blonde hair and his light hazel eyes. The black he wore made his features stand out.

"Got up and left with the rest of the gang as it seems." Tauriel un-crossed her legs and jumped off the crate.

"Who're you?" Ed asked angrily.

"Tauriel."

"Okay then Tauriel, I'll ask again: Where. Is. My. Brother?"

"Why don't you just focus on me? And then we'll talk about your brother."

"I DIDN'T COME HERE TO PLAY GAMES! I CAME HERE TO GET MY LITTLE BROTHER BACK!"

Tauriel blocked her ears once again, an annoyed expression was what Ed finally saw when he focused back on her face.

"Jesus, for someone so small you sure do have a set of lungs on you don't you, pipsqueak?"

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!?"

Ed jumped at Tauriel, flailing his arms widely trying to land a punch. Tauriel dodged each punch with a wicked laugh, she finally twisted her body around to kick the smaller boy in the chest. The Alchemist flew backwards and hit into the wall as Tauriel landed back on her feet. She threw the sword that rested on her back to the ground, knowing it would weigh her down and she wanted a good fight.

Along with the sword, Tauriel pulled off her beanie letting short pure-white curly hair fall around her face, next came her sunglasses which she slipped off with a manic grin – her one red eye and her one glass eye stared at Ed ready with energy.

"You – you're an Ishavalan!" Ed exclaimed.

"Nice eyesight ya got there shorty!" Tauriel exclaimed back.

Ed growled and clapped his hands together, blue sparks circling his hands beautifully.

As it did with Al, it shocked Ed and put him in a state of awe as Tauriel dodged each and every Alchemic attack the older Elric brother threw her way.

Finally, Tauriel managed to get close enough to Ed again to knee him in the stomach. He tumbled down and Tauriel let herself fall with him, she pulled out two small daggers on their way down and pinned the teen's hand to the hard ground below them.

A knee painfully rested on Ed's throat as another one crushed his chest, his eyes stared ahead as a small pistol was aimed right between them.

"I thought this would be a challenge." Tauriel stated. "Your brother said you were a prodigy. I guess that's what happens when you let your guard down and let emotions get in the way."

_Her legs. _

Ed couldn't help but blush as he stared at her legs in her tight pants. They were hard, like metal.

…_.Automail. _

The Fullmetal Alchemist wondered briefly what had happened to the young girl who looked only about 16 at the most. Scars littered the right side of her face, curling around her glass eye in a morbidly beautiful pattern – he could see the scars beneath the burn. Her throat was wrapped with scars, dark red marks that spoke more words than Ed wanted to hear. The boy could see the beginnings of more scars on her shoulders.

_Wait, what am I doing? I can't be freaking pitying this girl! She could kill me in a second, either snapping my neck or shooting me right between the eyes. _

"Oi! Tauriel!"

The pressure on Ed's neck relented as Greed's voice made Tauriel's head shoot up.

"The military's here."

"So?" Tauriel hissed. "After I kill this one, I'll kill all of them."

"Tauriel!" Greed forced a grin onto his face to hide the raw concern and anger. "I need this shrimp alive, I want you to go with Roa and Docletto."

Ed watched in shock as Tauriel put her gun away and hopped off him, Ed hissed when the girl pulled the daggers from his palms. She began to walk to where Roa and Docletto were waiting for her at the back door, she abruptly stilled and Greed cocked his head to the side questioningly.

"I can stay!" Tauriel shouted as she quickly turned to face Greed. "To make sure you get out alive, I'll – "

"Idiot! I'm Greed! I won't get killed by this kid. Now go, ya here me?" Greed sighed as he walked around the room to collect Tauriel's sword, sunglasses and beanie.

Ed watched as if he were in a theatre Greed hand Tauriel her sword then gently slip on her sunglasses and beanie – making sure to push all her white hair into the hat.

"Give me your vest."

"What?"

"Give me your fucking vest."

Greed slipped off his vest and handed it to the Ishvalan, she gripped it tightly before sliding in on over her black top.

"When I see you again – I'll give this back."

"Just go kid, or I'll kick your arse when we meet up – and you know I've never hit a woman before."

"Roa I want you to go up the front! You'll be out frontal attack and if any sneaky military dogs slip through your attacks me and the real Dog will slice 'em up!" Tauriel commanded as she ran out of the room.

"Why'd you let us talk?" Greed asked as he looked at Ed curiously.

"She senses Alchemy, she would've blocked my attack anyway."

Edward Elric wasn't afraid of many things, he had been to hell and back and seen horrible things but the look in the Ishvalan teen's eye made his blood run cold. He could see the war still going on in her one flesh eye and he saw the affects the war had on her as the glass seemed to size him up.

* * *

"WHERE ARE THEY ALL COMING FROM?!" Wailed Docletto as he waved his sword franticly to kill the military officers that attacked.

"I don't get it! Why would they send so many to attack us? As far as I know, the military don't know anything about us!" A Chimera questioned.

"It's the small blonde kid!" Tauriel supplied as she broke the neck of one officer. "He's a state Alchemist, he probably commanded all these guys to come here after he heard we got his brother!"

"Docletto watch out!"

"Fuck – !"

A loud bang deafened the gang as the wall broke apart and killed a more than a dozen officers.

"Don't let your guard down." Roa advised with a stern look.

"Thanks pal!" Docletto laughed as they ran.

* * *

"Fuck who's the big guy!"

"I can actually see my face reflected in his muscles."

"Really? Docletto, are you scared or aroused?"

"SHUT IT YOU BRAT!"

"You two are both idiots." Roa muttered with a small shake of his head. Armstrong heard what he knew was affection in the man's voice, Armstrong knew it straight away – these people, they were a family.

"Let me handle this guy." Roa said.

Docletto and Tauriel glanced at each other than gave their friend the thumbs up with matching innocent smiles.

"Go ahead!"

"Don't die!"

And handle it Roa did.

After a few moments Roa finally let it slip that he too – as well as Docletto – participated in the Ishvalan massacre, they too had been military scum but they were tortured and taken apart by their military.

A soft look came over Armstrong's face, one of understanding. He stood straight, now no longer in a fighting position.

"I won't kill you, I do so hate killing." Armstrong informed the group. "Please, stand down."

Docletto lowered his head, his eyes hardened as he thought of Greed – he couldn't surrender and let his boss down.

Roa had the same idea as he informed the major: "That's something I can't do – none of us will."

"I beg you! Don't throw away your lives so pointlessly!" Armstrong shouted, his eyes pained.

"Our lives aren't ours anymore!" Tauriel spoke up. "We owe them to Greed so we'll die if it means keeping him safe for even a second longer!"

Tauriel's beanie and sunglasses had been knocked off as they had fought against the previous soldiers so Armstrong was staring at her – her and her dark skin and red eyes – no, thought Armstrong, red eye. The prosthetic eye made the Major think of Ed and he suddenly just saw Tauriel as a young girl, a young girl like one's he'd seen being killed in Ishval.

"Major please move aside!" A new group of soldiers had appeared behind the Alchemist. "Fuhrer Bradley is here too!"

Fear took over Tauriel's body – fear and anger was all her senses could handle in that moment. Hearing that man's name caused her blood to run cold.

"WHY'S HE HERE?!"

"FUCK WE DIDN'T PLAN THIS!"

"Here's here to wipe this entire place out!" Tauriel howled. "He was the one who started the war! Who started the experiment on you guys! He's here to wipe out all the evidence of it!"

"You're right – fuck, you're almost always right you fucking brat." Docletto mused. "What are our chances of winning Tauriel?"

"Low, if I'm being frank. Very low."

"Well then….Remember when you were little? And we were teaching you when it was the right time to run away from a battle?"

"What does that have to do with anything?! What, you want us to run away? Fucking fine!"

"And I said," Docletto continued ignoring Tauriel's outburst. "I'd stay and fight whatever battle – no matter what – if it meant protecting someone I loved?"

"Docletto…." Roa casted a quick glance his way, his eyes questioning. When Docletto nodded, Roa stepped towards Tauriel.

Before the Ishavalan knew what was happening she was being lifted up by Docletto, she struggled as she watched Roa break the vents above them – creating an opening into it – She screamed as Docletto climbed on Roa's shoulders and began to push the teen into the vent.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?"

"SAVING YOU!"

"NO! I FUCKING REFUSE!" Tauriel kicked Docletto in the face but his grip of her waist didn't falter.

"I NEED YOU ALIVE!" Docletto screamed back.

"WHY?!"

"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU DAMN IT! YOU'RE FAMILY! AND YOU'RE JUST A KID! ME AND ROA – ALL OF US – HAVE LIVED SO BLOODY LONG AND YOU HAVEN'T! YOU'RE 16 FOR CHRIST'S SAKE! I WON'T LET YOU DIE THAT YOUNG! I CAN'T LET THAT HAPPEN! SO FOR ONCE, WILL YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME?!"

"YEAH WELL I CAN'T LET YOU DIE EITHER!"

"WE'LL BE FINE!"

"YOU'RE LYING!"

"OF COURSE I FUCKING AM! BUT I WILL DIE FIGHTING AND I WILL DIE PROUD OF THE FACT THAT I SAVED YOU! PLEASE JUST – JUST, LIVE ON!"

"I'll hate you if you leave me all alone Docletto." Tauriel said quietly, only Docletto heard and he smiled at the mention of his name, it all been nicknames and insults for a long time between them. Tauriel finally stopped struggling, she was in the vent but she still held strong onto Docletto's hand. She didn't want to let go of the man, she had hated him when they first met – he scared and annoyed her, all the dog Chimera did was scream and yell, he complained of the heat and he complained whenever Tauriel refused to speak – but now, to her Docletto was her brother, as was Roa, and she didn't want to get ripped away from her family again.

"I'll hate myself too Tauriel but you'll have the boss and Martel. I want you to find them and run away with them."

Tauriel slowly loosened her grip on the Chimera's hand, her fingers briefly touched the tips of his as she let go. There was no cliché feeling of coldness at the absence of Docletto's warm hand, Tauriel felt the same as she did when she was holding the young man's hand but something in the back of her mind was already willing her to erase Docletto's smile from her memories, willing her to remove the security she felt around Roa.

Docletto smiled, Roa looked up and winked as Tauriel began to make her out in the vent, knowing she could reach the room which lead to the sewers.

Armstrong has tears running down his face.

Roa prepared for the worst.

Docletto had the optimism he was cursed with.

And Tauriel, she pretended not to hear the howls of pain of her comrades as she focused on finding Martel.

* * *

***Tauriel - as you'll learn - has a rocky relationship with the past and memories. She wants to forget anything that caused her pain even though unbeknownst to her forgetting these people cause her pain***


	4. Nothing Lasts Forever

"Alphonse! Martel! You're – you're crawling on the floor, how sanitary."

Al turned around, which gave both him and Martel a perfect of Tauriel who had appeared behind them.

"Where's Roa and Docletto?" Martel asked.

"They're coming." Tauriel answered curtly.

Martel heard the tremor in Tauriel's voice and lowered her head.

"We need to leave." Tauriel announced. "It's not only annoying soldiers – the fucking Fuhrer is here too, we need to plan our escape and fast."

"Bradley's here!?"

"Let's save our shock for later when we're safe, eh Martel?"

"Well said El, well said."

"Greed!" Tauriel ran up to Greed, checking for lasting injuries. "Where's the older Elric brother?"

"I don't think now is the time for casually conversation." A new voice added itself into the mix.

"Who's that?" Greed asked flippantly.

"The Fuhrer." Al answered. Martel froze inside him as Tauriel snarled.

"Ah!" Bradley rounded his gaze on Tauriel. "An Ishvalan….I'd thought I'd gotten rid of all of you."

"YOU FUCKING – "

"Let me handle this." Greed interrupted. "I'm angry, you kill my possessions and you dare to insult one of the survivors? Tauriel stay back and protect armour boy and Martel."

Tauriel let Greed and the Fuhrer run off and fight, her eyes were glazed over and her shoulders were hung low.

"Miss Tauriel?" Al stared at Tauriel in concern. "Are you alright?"

"I don't want to go back there. They'll send me back there." Tauriel felt her head spinning and her throat close up, she tasted blood and vomit as her left eye stung the more she squeezed it shut.

"Tauriel! I wouldn't let them take you back! Don't you remember? You're ours now, you're safe!" Martel wanted to jump out of and rock Tauriel in her arms, calm the girl who'd become not like a sister but like a daughter to her.

Soon the trio heard footsteps coming towards them in the direction were Greed and Bradley had ran.

"Who's there?" Al called nervously.

Greed appeared but just as Martel was about to shout in joy, a blade pierced Greed's neck and the Nevil's Nest leader fell to the ground.

"NO! MR. GREED!"

Tauriel didn't screech like Martel, she instead slowly turned around and stared at Bradley – her automail eye staring blankly at him but her real eye, its red iris shone as the tears slipped down her cheek.

"How dare you….how DARE YOU, YOU BASTARD?!"

Tauriel sprinted towards Bradley, she held her sword so tightly that her palms began to bleed but she didn't notice as she slashed at Bradley without any plan or direction, only the want for death and revenge.

The sword was kicked out of her hands but Tauriel dodged the attack after it. She kicked Bradley and managed to even smash him into the ground, but it didn't seem to be doing any damage he simply got up again.

"How strange," He mused. "Your legs – they actually hurt me a little…"

"Greed put his philosopher tone into my blood – a small portion of it anyway. My legs are just like his ultimate shield!"

Bradley punched Tauriel square in the face, she fell to the ground and Bradley stamped on her arm, a loud sickening crack coupled with a scream of raw pain made Martel screech again.

"AL! ALPHONSE PLEASE LET ME OUT! I NEED TO HELP HER!"

"Tauriel, you stubborn brat." Docletto's pained voice caused Tauriel to lean up on her elbows and grin.

"Took your time Dog-boy." Tauriel cracked her arm back into place, blood trickled down her chin.

"I'd love to run away right now." Docletto sighed.

"You can you know, I wouldn't blame you." Roa countered.

"I guess it's just my loyalty shining through because fuck, seeing Tauriel and the boss like that….Our deaths would have been so peaceful if we'd stayed but I'll go down fighting."

"Took the words right out of my mouth." Roa smiled.

Tauriel jumped up and kicked Bradley in the back, the Fuhrer fell to the ground on his stomach but rolled on his back and grabbed Tauriel's leg and threw her into a wall.

Tauriel struggled to her feet, her mind spun as she watched Bradley's blades slice Docletto in half.

"LET ME OUT!" Martel cried.

Roa screamed as he fell, he was dead before he hit the ground.

"I NEED TO HELP THEM I CAN'T LET THEM DIE!"

Tauriel yelled, her throating stung, and she ran towards the Fuhrer with her sword once again in her bloody hands.

Bradley appeared behind her before Tauriel even knew what was happening. The blade that cut through her stomach didn't mind as her much as she thought a sword in the stomach would, it hurt sure but the shock as numbed a lot of the pain. It was when she was stabbed with through the stomach again with Bradley's other blade did Tauriel truly start to feel pain. But it was nothing compared to the pain she felt when her legs had been blown off, she smiled at that, her smile faltered when she realised even that pain didn't hurt as much as seeing her family fall because of the military.

"You – you…you th – think this I – I – is pain?" Tauriel gasped out, her glass eye stared blindly into Bradley's, her vision blurred and all she could taste was iron. "T – try ha – having every – everything taken from y – y – you. N – now – now that's p- pain. T – this? This is d – death! I'd rather t – th – this than losing _**them **_an – any – any day."

Bradley kicked Tauriel back, she skidded past Greed and landed on her front.

"How dare you…..THEY BELONGED TO ME! I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR TAKING ANYWAY THINGS THAT WERE MINE!" Greed exploded in anger and sadness (although he didn't realise that). "THOSE WERE MY POSESSIONS! MINE!"

It took all of Tauriel's energy to lift her head up, her throat closed up as she saw Greed, seemingly dead. But in split second she couldn't see Greed anymore, all she saw was blood soaked sand and the dead bodies of Ishvalans. She heard the crazy, evil laughter all around her. Her legs ached, her left eye stung, the scars that littered her frame seemed to all burn her skin. Tauriel struggled to sit up, the moment she put pressure on her legs she felt has if they had been blown off again.

It was the scream that Alphonse emitted that made Tauriel spring into action – it didn't sound like Alphonse to Tauriel, it sounded like the children of Ishaval that she had watched being killed as her family ran away.

And that's what Tauriel did.

She ran away.

Greed smiled to himself as he saw, out from the corner of his eye, the PTSD stricken girl run.

"ARMOUR BOY!" Greed screamed, he saw the blood that seeped out of the armour and cursed. "LOOK AFTER HER, YOU HEAR ME?! LOOK AFTER HER!"

* * *

Her legs ached.

The socket of her glass eye felt as if someone was pouring burning burning water in it.

Her other eye wouldn't stop bloody crying.

Blood wouldn't stop dripping from her mouth.

And it was fucking raining.

Life seemed to have it out for Tauriel. She was okay with it until that point, but right then she just wanted to scream and to never stop crying. She didn't care that Docletto told her to live on and she didn't care that she was alive. She wanted to die.

Tauriel didn't know where she was, but she suddenly hoped the grass beneath her feet felt soft. The rain was weighing her down. She was just so tired.

When her knees hit the cold, wet but soft grass her body gave up. She fell to her side, she brought her arms to hug herself but stopped short when she felt the Greed's vest around her body. The Ishvalan teenager wailed, she cried until she passed out.

* * *

***I love Tauriel and like I do with all characters I love - I make them feel pain. Oh I'm terrible!**

**Review and tell me what you think!***


	5. To Few, It'll Be Grief,

_Okay when I thought that grass was soft I didn't think it was actually soft, I thought it was soft in, like my crazed state but fuck this is heaven. _

Tauriel tried to roll over but the sharp pain that jolted through her shocked her to open her eyes and throw herself up out of bed – wait, Bed?

Looking around her Tauriel didn't recognise anything. It was a beautiful room though. Once when Tauriel was sick, she had only been 12 at that time, she had thrown up and then fainted, when she'd woken up Docletto was by her side in a chair next to the bed in Greed's bedroom. No one was allowed in Greed's bedroom, only Greed and whatever chick he took home. But Greed had picked up Tauriel and put her into his bed, ordering Docletto to watch over her. Greed's bedroom was beautiful but not even that bedroom was as beautiful as the one she was in now.

Tauriel looked down at herself, her stomach and chest were wrapped in bandages, and her usually tight jeans had been replaced by loose tracksuit pants. By her bedside was a wallet – her wallet, well she stole it but it'd been a good 3 years ago so it'd have to be hers by now – Tauriel stretched her arm out to grab hold of the leather wallet. Inside where a few cens, lint mostly but the item she was searching for was easy to find. It was the silver lighter she'd had since she could remember, the beautiful silver lighter with the stunning Salamander carved skilfully onto the sides.

"You're finally awake."

"You….what….?"

Tauriel stared at Izumi – the pretty woman had beaten a dozen Devil's Nest Chimera's without breaking a sweat – a small smile danced on the woman's lips and Tauriel recognised it too well, it was the smile people usually reserved for bad news.

"I didn't mean to startle you, I just wanted to return this to you."

In her hand Izumi held Greed's black vest.

"Give that to me." Tauriel tried to push herself off the bed but Izumi gently pushed her back down.

"You'll re-open your stiches if you move too fast." The older woman advised. "I was just fixing the vest actually, it had gotten badly torn up during your fight in the sewers."

_Right._

_That._

_The sewers…..Greed, Docletto and Roa…._

"Martel! What happened to her?"

"Was that the girl that was hiding in Al's armour?"

From the way Izumi asked that, Tauriel didn't want to say yes, she tightened her grip on the old lighter and her mouth moved its own.

When Tauriel said yes, a sad looked came over Izumi's face.

"I'm so sorry….Al did everything he could to save her but Bradley – he – "

"He killed her." Tauriel finished for her.

"Miss Tauriel! You're finally up!" Al's relieved voice caught the teen off guard. "Brother! Quickly, she's awake!"

Tauriel turned her head to look at the door, the hulking figure of Al appeared, she was sure that if he had a body, he'd be smiling. But the metal that stared at her didn't comfort her in the least. Edward then appeared behind Alphonse, his face straight but his eyes were tired and pained, as if it hurt looking at Tauriel.

"They're all dead….but you already know that, don't you?" Tauriel said lightly.

Edward finally looked Tauriel in the eye. Alphonse lowered his head, his hands clenched as the memory of Martel flashed.

Neither brother spoke.

"The military they – the military took my family away from me again. First in Ishval and now here." Tauriel's voice changed, it wasn't light and sad anymore; it was hoarse and dark, frightening even as she stared at Edward with nothing but morbid amusement.

"And you work for them."

"I'm so – "

"You're what? You're sorry? Sorry won't do anything for me now! I have nothing! I only have my family in a hole! I don't need sorry, I don't need pity! I don't need you thinking I was corrupted by these people! YOU DIDN'T KNOW THEM! THEY WERE BETTER THAN YOU COULD EVER BE!" The wounds on Tauriel's stomach began to reopen, blood seeped through the bandages as she struggled to get up and tower over Ed.

"Please," Al pleaded, he held onto her shoulders gently but forcefully enough to keep her from attacking his brother. "Please stop, you'll hurt yourself and I can't let that happen. I promised Docletto, Roa, Martel – I promised Greed I'd look after you!"

"THEY ARE DEAD!" The look on Tauriel's face scared Al, she wasn't the little sister type figure he'd watched joke around with Martel and exchange banter with Docletto. She was angry and hurt and broken – more broken then she'd looked when Al had seen her attack the Fuhrer in the sewers. "THEIR WORDS DON'T MEAN A DAMN THING! I DO NOT NEED TO BE PROTECTED BY THE PEOPLE WHO TOOK MY FAMILY AWAY FROM ME!"

Alphonse ran out of the room, Edward followed after him keeping his head low and his teeth gritted.

Izumi, who Tauriel had forgotten was even there, strode forward and slapped Tauriel's across the face.

"You say you don't want pity but you still act like a hysterical child! Screaming and crying because you want someone to blame! Man up!" Izumi lowered her hand and narrowed her eyes, her voice quietened but her gaze never left Tauriel's. "I know what it's like to lose those you love, those boy do too. We all know that pain, and you can spent the rest of your life trying to find someone to blame but you will lose all your years if you do, you will wake up one day on your death bed and realise you wasted your entire life looking for something that doesn't matter. I know how much you've lost in Ishavl but you moved on that time, didn't you? Are you going to just sit down and give up this time? Are you going to dishonour your family's sacrifice? They gave up their lives to save you! Live on! If not for yourself, then for them!"

_Live on!_

Docletto's voice echoed in Tauriel's mind, his ruff voice and his wicked smile. The now small looking girl reached towards Izumi, gently plucked Greed's vest out of her hands and wrapped it around her shoulders. Her cut palms hurt as she squeezed the fabric between her hands.

They were all dead.

_But…Dyin' ain't so bad….not if we all went togther….Only when one's left behind does it get sad….And I'm so fucking sad…._

_But…._

Tauriel thought of the Devil's Nest gang, their smiling faces and tough words.

She thought of the ones that meant the most to her, the ones that lodged in the hideout with her, and the ones that saved her.

Roa.

Bido.

Martel.

Docletto.

And…

_Greed. _

Tauriel's grip on Greed's vest loosened, she dropped her stinging hands on her lap. Despite the pain Tauriel once again clenched her hands into fists. The broken teenager closed her tired eye for a moment, she then lifted her head up and her features completely changed.

Izumi smiled.

"They're leaving in a few hours." She told the Ishvalan girl.

"Good," Tauriel stood up. "I was just planning on leaving in a few hours too."

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Edward asked, his voice and face hard as he turned around to look at Tauriel.

She forced a grin – something she learnt from Greed.

Al hadn't been able to notice it before, but now that he had a good, clear view of Tauriel he noticed that she was actually quite pretty – not conventionally pretty but still, her sharp features and full lips were appealing but the scars that circled her person would put some – if not most – off. Al could now clearly see the scars that littered the girl's face. She had a large burn scar that circled around her glass eye, it was a large, ugly red mark that took up just under a half of her face, the burns swirled down onto her back and stopped abruptly, now just dark, thin lines twisted around her neck and down her clothes.

She wasn't beautiful let that be known dear readers, she was broken and scared with a crocked grin and a lean boyish body. Tauriel was torn, but beautiful in an odd way that all torn things were. We adore brokenness, we cherish the scarred because there is something mysterious about them. Wonderful and full of stories they were.

Her dark skin was beautiful when it wasn't bathed with blood, her short curly white hair swayed in the wind as if the wind was only there to make her look good. The sunglasses Tauriel had insisted on wearing during the Devil's Nest days were nowhere to be seen, her red eye and glass eye was a fascinating combination on her face which was very pretty indeed. Full lips like Martel and a wicked grin like Greed.

Ed noticed the shorts Tauriel had opted for, black shorts that showed off her Automail legs. His thoughts moved onto Winry as he knew she'd be squealing in joy at the design of the legs and eye the girl sported.

Tauriel crossed her arms – the action making her wince only slightly – the sleeves of her large, woollen cardigan curling around her fingers and the black singlet she wore under it reached the end of her shorts. The Ishvalan had a muscular type body, lean and strong. She was quite androgynous looking in fact.

"You look so different." Al commented, it was if the girl was throwing away her past as she changed her features and her clothing. No longer was she the dark featured girl with the dirty clothes. Al knew he'd have cried if he could. The look on her face reminded him so much of Ed, whenever his older brother tried to stay strong when all he actually wanted to do was curl up and cry.

"You two heading off?"

"Yeah." Edward answered, his eyes wandering over the girl's face searching for a sign of an attack ahead.

"You know, it's been years since I've gone anywhere but Dublith or Central."

"You want to come with us?" Edward all but screeched, his eyes wide and his mouth hung open in shock.

"Well they sure don't call you a genius for nothing." Tauriel laughed.

Ed's eyes softened as he saw how strained the action was.

"Of course you can!" Al smiled.

"AL! THIS IS AN ACTUAL PERSON! NOT A CAT YOU'VE PICKED OFF THE STREET!" Ed stomped his foot and wave his arms crazily as he berated his younger brother.

"But brother!"

"DON'T 'BUT BROTHER' ME!"

"Please don't yell!"

"I'M NOT! I AM COMPLETELY CALM!"

"You're making a scene, idiot." Sighed Tauriel. "Listen, I'm coming with you whether you like it or not. Now I'd rather be off on my own but I know for a fact you boys attract danger and I love danger."

"That's not it though, is it?" Ed questioned. He'd calmed down from his comical outburst and once again the young teen look older beyond his years. "You want to come with us on the off chance we run into Fuhrer Bradley again. And you want to kill him."

"I want to torture him. I want to burn his eyes out and rip his fucking tongue from his mouth. I want him to feel more pain than he's ever felt in his life – maybe I'll kill his family like he did mine – oh get that look off your face Eddy, I was joking. " Tauriel snapped. "But….I'd steer clear of him unless you know you can win against him."

"Why would he fight him?" Ed argued, Tauriel could see the suspicion lacing his features. Inside he was shaking, the girl was dangerous. He could see the brokenness that he and she shared, the hopelessness even but she was murderous – or at least had the ambition to be.

He didn't trust her.

Tauriel found she didn't care in the least.

"He's dangerous." Tauriel informed the brother, her voice serious and her eyes never leaving Ed's.

Ed snorted, _funny, most would say that about you too. _

She stared at him, her eyes narrowing and delving deep into him. Ed felt as though the girl could see all his secrets, all his hopes and fears, all his flaws and more flaws Ed should've been seeing in himself.

Tauriel cut off eye contact and strode ahead of the brothers, her hips swaying as she walked.

"You two coming?"

Al ran after Tauriel and caught to her side while Ed strolled behind them with a dark, curious look casting over his features.

_This girl….She'll bring us trouble, _Ed acknowledged, _But I guess no more than what we'd bring ourselves. She wants nothing but death though, that's the problem. Al and I….We want life and Tauriel….She wants to kill anyone she thinks that took away those people from her._

Ed wondered for a moment if that included him and Al, the last time she spoke of the gang was when she accused him and his brother of being the ones who took them away from her. Ed couldn't help the tense feeling that overwhelmed him, his body was ready to attack at any moment and he knew Tauriel could see that.

Tauriel forced a smile as she walked next to Al, but her eye was expressionless – matching her glass eye quite brilliantly really.

_I can't look back, this is a new start and I can't let those memories hold me back. _

The image of Greed's vest which she'd left folded neatly on Greed's bed. The room had been destroyed, it wasn't as beautiful as Tauriel remembered being when she had been sick all those years ago. She walked into that room, she had to refrain from slipping into the bed, tugging the covers over her head and never leaving – it smelt like Greed. Like nicotine and booze. But Tauriel had managed to pull out Greed's vest, fold it gently and place it on the bed. Her fingers grazed the vest and she lifted her hand off it, like they'd done when she'd let go of Docletto's hand when she crawled further into the vent.

_I'm so sorry Greed, I'm sorry I couldn't save you – save us – save the gang. But I will avenge us, I promise. _

_Everyone in Dublith knew it would happen._

'_Some day', they whispered, 'they'll go down together.'  
They'll bury them side by side.  
To few, it'll be grief,  
To the law, a relief.  
But it's death for Greed the Avaricious the Devil's Nest gang._

* * *

**_*_And yep, she's trying to force herself to forget! Tauriel you idiot...Okay yeah it was me who wrote her that way but STILL! **

**Also! The little connection Tauriel has with Roy will get pretty interesting in future chapters***


	6. A Dog's Loyalty

"_You know kid, you'll have to talk again sometime." Docletto informed the small Ishvalan child. _

_He squinted at her as she rested in Roa arms, she squinted back at him. _

_Martel watched the pair stare at each other, a spark seemed to be shifting between them as they continued to stare. _

_Docletto let a small growl escape his mouth and Martel was by his side in a second, slapping him upside the head with an annoyed sigh._

"_Stop growling at her you idiot." _

"_I swear the kid did it first!"_

"_SHE AIN'T NO DOG AND SHE HAS A NAME!" _

"_OW! OW! OW! STOP HITTIN' ME MARTEL!"_

_Time passed, Roa ran ahead with Tauriel and Docletto watched the wind fly through the kid's hair. She seemed to enjoy the feeling as well as seeming extremely fascinated by the feeling of the wind hitting against her skin. _

"_She doesn't like me." Docletto told Martel as he broke his eyes away from the child._

"_You haven't given her a reason to. None of us have but you just keep shouting and I guess, being stuck in this war, she's sick of the loudness." _

_Docletto sighed, his eyes once again found Tauriel, she was facing him – well her head was turned to stare at him, the eye that was not covered by bandages stared blankly at the young man. Docletto tried to smile, Tauriel lifted her chin and turned back to stare ahead of her. _

"_You can leave me behind you know, I would not mind." Tauriel's small voice told Docletto. _

_The young man turned to his side and quirked an eyebrow at the girl._

"_Yeah well, we'd mind." _

"_Why?"_

"_Because we ain't assholes who do that shit to people, we wouldn't leave anybody behind who needs us." _

"_I do not need you." _

"_I'd like to see you crawl your way across this land." _

"_I could." _

"_Could you?"_

"_I could try." _

"_And what if you find out you can't? Then what?"_

"_Well….Then I would….I'd stop."_

"_Who told you that? Who told you should just give up?"_

"_My Mother and Father, they taught me to never try anything you cannot finish, to always stop when you find you cannot go further."_

"_You know what I do when I can't go any further?"_

"_What?"_

"_I keep going."_

"_What if you couldn't move any further? What if it was impossible?"_

"_I don't believe in impossible. People said creating successful Chimeras was impossible but look at me? Look at us? We're here aren't we? And you, most people would think it impossible for someone to live after losing as much blood as you did but you're alive, you're here with me right now." _

_Tauriel peered at Docletto curiously, his words swam around her head; her mind was trying to make sense of them._

_Docletto scratched the back his head, his lips quirked trying to find something to break the silence. _

"_I guess it's just me, I'd never run away from a fight or give up in a challenge….especially if it meant saving someone I loved."_

_Tauriel didn't know if she had anyone she loved, her parents hardly spoke to her or to each other as they were paranoid they could be heard by soldiers and other Ishavlans from underground. Tauriel had never had the overwhelming need to protect those people, she had only cried when they died because she realised that she was now alone. _

"_Now, why'd you ask me to leave you behind?" Docletto broke the silence once again._

"_I am a burden." _

"_You're our responsibility now."_

"_I do not want to be."_

_Docletto hit Tauriel upside gently, her arms flailed as she fell forward on her face. Docletto's eye twitched as he watched the child spit out sand._

"_What did you do that for?"_

"_Because….BECAUSE YOU STUBBORN BRAT, YOU'RE OUR RESPONSIBILITY WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT! YOU HEAR ME!?"_

"_Of course I hear you because you are yelling!" _

"_GOOD! MAYBE YOU'LL GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK HEAD!"_

"_YOU ARE VERY LOUD!" _

_Docletto laughed as the kid's face went bright red. _

"_Jesus kid, you sure do have a set of lungs on ya."_

"_I do not mean to…."_

"_No, no! It's a good thing! It means people will listen to you."_

* * *

"Are you alright Miss Tauriel?" Alphonse asked.

"Just call me Tauriel, it's weird being spoken to so politely." Tauriel waved a hand at Al. "And I'm thinking about all the Automail around me, around Dublith it wasn't normal to show off things that made you different, that's why Devil's Nest was so special – freaks and weirdo's were welcome." A wave of nostalgia passed through Tauriel, she shook her head and tensed her shoulders. "We're almost at your friend's shop are we not?"

"Yep, actually we're here." Ed stopped at the door, a shiver ran up his spine and he turned to face Al.

"SHE'S GONNA KILL ME!"

"YOU CAN DO IT BROTHER! JUST OPEN THE DOOR!"

"AL I'M SO SCARED!"

"I BELIEVE IN YOU BROTHER!"

Ed took a breath of air.

"I can do this, I have to believe I can do this."

Ed reached out his hand and knocked on the door.

A beautiful young girl opened the door, her blue eyes were large and matched perfectly with her long blonde hair which was tied in a high pony tail. Her body was amazing, the perfect figure which all girls would want – Tauriel herself had a lean, muscular type build.

"Ed! Al! What are you guys doing here?" A large smile formed on the girl's lips.

Al waved and greeted the girl. "Hey Winry!"

"Hey Winry!" Ed repeated, he lifted his broken Automail arm and pointed at it with his flesh arm.

Winry's smile froze as she opened her eyes and stared at the broken arm. She laughed, slowly took out a wrench from behind her and in a split second Ed was on the ground, blood squirting out of his head as he groaned. Al waved a fan to cool Ed down as he groaned louder.

Winry was about to slam the door shut when she saw Tauriel who was still standing outside in complete confusion. The blonde girl gasped and stepped closer to Tauriel, their noses almost touching.

Tauriel suppressed a growl as a deeply hidden insecurity bubbled within the girl.

_Why is she staring at me? Is it because I'm Ishvalan? Is that it? _

The Devil's Nest gang were so accepting that Tauriel had to remind herself there were still people who despised her people.

"You – You – "Winry started.

Tauriel narrowed her eyes as Winry seized hold of her shoulders. The Ishvalan girl barred her teeth but before a biting comment could leave her full lips Winry's eyes seemed to shine with joy and awe and she squealed.

"Your eye! Your beautiful glass eye! It's so amazing and detailed, the design! I can't even! Who made it? Where did you get this? Oh and your legs!" Winry kneeled down and lifted up one of Tauriel's legs up to inspect it. "It's so light! That so Automail is amazing! And so beautifully made! I need to know who designed these!"

"I uh – it was some old man where I – where I grew up but he – well he died a few years back."

"Who does your repairs then?" The concern in Winry's voice unnerved Tauriel.

"A friend of mine he could be a bit of a dog sometimes but he learnt how to deal with Automail to help me." Tauriel grinned at her joke as Winry nodded.

"WHERE ARE MY MANNERS?!" Winry exclaimed. She jumped up and shook Tauriel's hand. "My name is Winry Rockbell and you?"

"Tauriel."

"Why are you with these idiots?"

"WINRY WHY?!" Ed and Al moaned in disappear.

* * *

***Oh hey Tauriel is meeting normal people. Sorry about this chapter being so short!**

**GUESS WHO'S GONNA BE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER?!***


	7. Immortality: The New Trend

Tauriel stood against the side of Winry's shop, she opted to wait outside rather than sit inside and speak to the people who littered inside. The small room and the friendly people reminded her all too much of the gang she'd spent the last dozen years of her life with. Sure they were louder, more violent and drunk but still, the smiles and the laughter, the warmth made Tauriel remember. And she didn't want to remember.

She hated memories.

"_That girl you're with – Tauriel…"_

Tauriel lifted her head up, her ears perked at the mention of her name from inside the shop. Her heightened senses made it easy for her to hear Winry speak softly to Ed.

"_What about her?"_

"_She's Ishavalan."_

"_She is."_

"_Was she with your master?"_

"_No, she was with a gang of bandits. But the military, they – so many things happened Win, and all her family – they're dead. And it's my fault. She insisted on coming with us, she wants to kill someone that only we can get to."_

Tauriel blocked out the rest of their conversation, she didn't care for gossip much.

She didn't trust these people, she liked Winry as she beamed innocence and happiness but Ed and Al were as broken as she was and if Tauriel knew anything about life it was not to trust people like her.

Within a few minutes Ed and Al flew out of the shop, Al took hold of Tauriel's hand and took her with them as they ran away from the shop.

"Jesus!" Declared Ed, he sipped at his drink like a sulky child. "It's so boring here 'cause it's all Automail stores here."

Ed peered at Al and Tauriel and took another loud sip.

"You two seem chipper."

"This is the only place where I can walk around and not be stared at." Al answered happily.

Tauriel kicked the rock on the ground, she wish dearly that she was still in Dublith –

_No! Shut up you fucking idiot, stop remembering and wanting things to go back to the way they were. They never will. They're gone and you aren't the same person anymore. _

"Fuuuuck I'm glad Mustang hasn't heard of our recent failure."

_Mustang? _

"What?" Tauriel asked, her voice quizzical. "Did you say 'Mustang'?"

"Yep, Colonel Roy Mustang." Ed drawled. "Why? You know him?"

"No…" Tauriel shook her head. "Well I though I did but if he's in the military then he's not the Mustang I'm thinking of."

Ed and Tauriel regarded each other for a moment, their eyes narrowing as they silently told each other once again that there was no trust between them.

Tauriel continued to stride ahead of the brothers, her mind elsewhere but she was knocked out of thoughts when she felt the ground beneath her feet, it was squishy but bony.

"What?"

Tauriel looked down and her eyes widened.

"WHAT?!"

Beneath the Automail feet of Tauriel the Ishvalan teenager was a black haired _person _wearing an odd yellow jacket type garment.

"Miss Tauriel, what's wrong?" Al asked as he ran up behind the girl.

"WHY ARE YOU STANDING ON A PERSON!?"

"I DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS THERE!"

"WHY ARE YOU TWO SCREAMING?!"

Ed came stomping up to the pair, he stopped when he saw the scene. Tauriel was standing on what appeared to be a teenage boy and Al was perched on his knees poking the boy on the shoulder.

"Al…."

"Yes brother?"

"Put him back where he came from."

"BROTHER THAT'S INHUMAN!"

* * *

"Well, well, I'm revived!"

Ed, Al and Tauriel stared at the newcomer strangely.

"You guys saved my life! Thanks! The food was yummy! Your treat, right?"

"Who said I was treatin' ya?" Ed grumbled.

Tauriel sized up the foreign boy, he looked around 17 – maybe older. She could tell from his eyes that he was Xingese. Tauriel noticed briefly the handsome features and the long fringe but that isn't what interested her. It was his sword, his body, the way he seemed so nonchalant but Tauriel could tell he was hiding a strength within him. His body was proof of that, you didn't get a body like that from lazing around and only eating. He ate so much, probably, because he trained every single day, all day. He was strong and his aura screamed authority but there was uncertainty that danced around him, a deep hidden and conditioned uncertainty that didn't intrigue Tauriel as much as it amused her.

"Why is someone from Xing all the way here?" Tauriel inquired.

"You're from Xing?"

Both Tauriel and the newcomer ignored Ed.

"Who – "The young man raked his eyes over Tauriel with a grin playing at his lips, the slits that his eyes were seemed to stare right into the girl. "- Are you Miss?"

"I don't answer to strangers."

"Ling." The black haired boy laughed. "My name is Ling Yao."

"Why are you here?" Tauriel asked again, if only out of curiosity.

"I wanted to visit the ruins of Xerxes." Ling answered innocently.

"The fabled city that fell in one night." Tauriel leaned her chin on the palm of her hand, her lips curled. "How lame."

"Oh I suppose it is." Ling agreed as he leant forward, taking the same position as Tauriel.

"And that's why you aren't here for that, isn't it?"

"Oh, I like this one." Ling cried. "Where did you find her?" Ling turned to Ed and grinned. Ed blushed and fidgeted in his seat at the suggestive look Ling flung his way. Ling chortled at the teen's reaction and turned again to face back to Tauriel.

"Have you three heard of Alkahestry?" Ling asked changing the subject but never leaving Tauriel's suspicious gaze.

"Sounds like a deadly disease." Ed deadpanned.

"I suppose you wouldn't have – I believe your people call it Alchemy? It's an alternative type of Alchemy in my land I suppose. It's used for medical purposes more than anything."

"A new type of Alchemy?" Al seemed to be jumping up and down in his seat.

"You two are Alchemists?"

"Yeah!" Al answered.

"Show us! I wanna know about this Alkahestry!" Ed slapped his knee in excitement.

"Oh! I'm no alchemist!"

"WHAT?!"

"I am however here for what I hear many Alchemists around this land know of. Maybe you guys know about it. I'm looking for what's called the philosopher's stone."

Time seemed to stop for Ed, he retrained from jumping out his seat, the short boy strained to keep his emotions in check (which had turned to anger as he stole a glance at Tauriel and saw her amused grin) when he shrugged and gave Ling a sideways glance.

"Do you happen to know anything about it?" Ling's slanted eyes opened a fraction to peer at Ed curiously.

"Nope." Ed retorted, he stuck his nose up and narrowed his eyes at Ling. "Sorry 'bout that, never heard of it."

Ed stood up, shifted his hands in his pockets and cocked his head to the side in a threatening action.

"We got no more business with each other, right? Well, see-ya."

Ling guffawed abruptly, his hearty laugh was short-lived once he snapped his fingers and Ed felt a sharp pressure on his neck – he moved his eyes to glance sideways at the masked figure aiming a sharp knife type weapon at the side of his neck, he made no other movement and his features didn't change an inch.

The other masked figure place himself behind Al, a long sword stuck inside his armour. The second figure had a second even longer sword trained between Tauriel's eyes, her expression was bored and unimpressed.

"It sure does seem like you know something about….Can you tell me now?"

"What do you want with the Philosopher's Stone?" Ed asked, his expression hard.

_Oh Ed, can't you tell? _Tauriel rumbled inwardly, _He has the exact same look on his face that Greed did whenever he spoke about…._

"To find out a way to gain immortality!"

* * *

***LIIIIIING! If you have not guessed...I love Ling. So. Freaking. Much.**

**Gonna be a bit hard for Tauriel to forget the Devil's Nest when Ling's around, uh? He reminds her so much of Greed and she's a bit annoyed at that.***


	8. Ling Yao

"How original," jeered Tauriel with a flex of her muscles, "As it happens, I lived with a man who wished to gain that very same curse."

Ling cocked his head to the side in juvenile manner, he pouted his lips as his eyes moved from Edward's angry glare to Tauriel's mocking snarl.

"What happened?" Ling couldn't help but ask.

"He died." Tauriel deadpanned. "Irony at its finest."

Ling curled his lips, the corners of his eyes wrinkled seemingly unimpressed with the answer he received from the girl.

"This ain't really how you go about asking for things from people." Ed spoke with bared teeth. "IS IT?!"

The attempt to attack the first masked figure failed, it moved so quickly and gracefully Tauriel could only be impressed. It jumped above Edward's head, twisting its body to kick the young Alchemist's cheek.

"How dare you?! You disrespectful commoners! The young master was asking you a question!" The second masked figured bellowed, his tone (now obviously a man from the sound of his voice) gruff and horrified.

Tauriel rolled her eyes, she turned her body in a full circle and threw her arm out to clutch the hilt of the masked man's sword. She pulled the man, by the sword, towards her and kicked him in the stomach sending him hurdling to the ground when he reached her.

Al sighed and squealed in a high pitched tone when the masked man went flying past him.

"BROTHER! MISS TAURIEL! PLEASE DON'T START A FIGHT!"

The first masked figure ran towards Tauriel, she jumped up ready to knee the Ishvalan in the face but lean figured teen moved to the side, twisted her body again to move behind the bodyguard to kick the back of the fast moving figure in black.

Ed chuckled as he stood up, he rubbed the corner of his mouth with the back of his wrist as he grinned at Ling's startled expression – it held a mixture of curiosity and shock.

"What?" Ed taunted. "Did you think she'd be weak?"

Ling cocked his head to the side once again, there was an air of frivolousness lacing his posture that annoyed Tauriel (perhaps because it reminded her of Greed – who'd she'd been able to push out of her mind until meeting the Xingese boy).

"Al," Ed called. "They might be tough, those moves are probably native to Xing, but – "

"You noticed too?" Al asked.

"Yeah."

"They're weaker than master!" The Elric brothers declared in unison.

"Go on then." Tauriel eased into a casual stance, her hands found their way to rest in her pockets, her face blank while Ed stared at her.

"What?"

"Go. On. Then." Tauriel repeated as if speaking to a child. "I have no interest in the Philosopher's Stone, I'll gain no satisfaction from beating them."

"WHAT?!" Ed roared. "I THOUGHT WE WERE IN THIS TOGETHER YOU BRAT?!"

_YOU BRAT!_

_SHUT UP DOG-BOY!_

"I guess you thought wrong. I came with you two for my own gain, not to bond and fight with you." Tauriel flatly stated, her voice strained but otherwise void of emotion. Her eyes were blank as the struggle between reality and memories threatened to break the wall she tried to maintain as a way to separate the two.

Edward opened his mouth to bite back but the masked figures ran at him and Al because he could get any words out from his lips.

Tauriel was sure if Al had a human body with working expressions, Al would have looked incredibly hurt in that moment when he turned and ran after Ed who was fighting Ling's men.

If Tauriel let emotions fill her as much as she did before the Devil's Nest massacre, she was would she'd have felt bad.

"So they aren't you're friends?" Ling finally broke the silence between him and Tauriel, who'd been sitting in the chair directly in front of him for a few moments.

"I don't have any friends." Tauriel snapped.

_I had family. And they're dead. _

"How tragic!" Ling cried overdramatically, his hand flew to his head and he leant his head back gasping. "Oh you poor, poor girl! I – "

"Just because I didn't kill your little bodyguards, doesn't mean I won't kill you." Was Tauriel's immediate response.

"You won't." Ling countered with a strange voice.

"Oh? Why won't I?" Tauriel raised a single eyebrow in question.

"Because I remind you of someone and you don't seem like the type of person who would kill someone they were fond of."

Tauriel felt her eyes go wide, an action she regretted straight away when she saw Ling's smug grin. The sides of her mouth twitched, her mind searched for something to say, trying desperately to find an insecurity about Ling she hadn't noticed before so she could cut him down. But he hid well. She knew there was something but the mask of flippancy he wore covered everything.

"Maybe you're right." Tauriel decided for honesty. "But I wouldn't hesitate to beat you half to death, more painful so it's a win for me."

"You are quite cold." Ling remarked, the haughty grin never leaving his face.

"You said you wanted the Philosopher's stone," Tauriel brought up casually trying to move her mind away from any sort of warm feeling she had from Greed's company. "Why? Why become Immortal? Why would that make you happy?"

"I wish to come Emperor of Xing – "

"YOU'RE A PRINCE?!" Tauriel chocked on her laughter, she spat the water she'd just drank out of her mouth and onto Ling's comically horrified face. "More like an idiot prince!"

"Anyway," Ling continued on coldly. "If I bring the secret of immortality back to my land and its people….My father will finally see I am better suited as Emperor rather than my selfish, bigoted brothers. He doesn't think I will become the leader of our nation – my father that is – he believes my brothers to be better candidates because they use fear to create allegiance with the people."

Tauriel could see why Ling had confided in her as he just did, to make her pity him – no, simply to sympathize so her cold appearance would melt and she'd give away what he thought she knew about the Philosopher's stone. Tauriel wouldn't play into his trap.

"So you're father doesn't think you'll be a good king?" Tauriel looked Ling over with calculating eyes. "Oh I wonder why." The sarcasm that dripped off her silver tongue took Ling back, but he soon found himself laughing.

"Most people would have fell for that! They would have comforted me! Pitied me! But you….You really don't care, do you? Oh this is brilliant."

The grin that was sent her way warmed Tauriel as she no longer saw Ling in front of her, she saw Greed and his shit-eating grin, his larger than life attitude and his shifty eyes that seemed to know more than he would ever let on.

Before she knew it, a genuine smile had formed on Tauriel's face, the act was foreign but something swirled in the pit of her stomach that screamed at her to remember, to value the memories she'd made with the family she'd lost but she mentally slapped herself. The smile fell like a tonne of bricks (her smile fell like the bodies of Greed, Docletto and Roa fell that night in the sewers), unbeknownst to her Ling was quite disappointed when the quirk of her lips fell into the resting frown he'd been used to.

Tauriel stood up abruptly her chair clacked onto the ground behind her, the sound made Ling look up from his food, his squinted eyes followed her movements as she began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Ling called in a sing-song tone, a smile plastered on his lips.

"Ed and Al are finished with your bodyguards, their Alchemy has stopped." Tauriel walked on, her arms stiff by her side and her strides long and tough.

"What an interesting young woman." Ling mused, his slanted eyes opened slightly to watch her as she walked away. His eyes tracked her legs, staring at the metal and the scars that curled around the back of her neck.

"Please put all this food on the Elric's tab!"

* * *

***Ed and Tauriel's relationship is a tad rocky to say the least. **

**Ling does think Tauriel is quite interesting, he hasn't met many people are are so openly rude to him and he finds it amazing - as he does when Ed speaks so rudely to him. **

**Although FMAB explores so much into Ling's character I'm gonna try and write more about his past.***


	9. Eyes Of A Fighter

It hadn't taken Ling long to find the small building in which he'd known Ed, Al and Tauriel came from.

Ling could see it perched atop a nearby building with Fu and Lan Fan by his side, they'd escaped from their fight against the Elric brothers and managed to track the prince down in record time.

"The Ishvalan…" Lan Fan began, she searched for the words to describe the girl who had thrown her and her grandfather to the ground like dirt without any trouble. "She's – If I may speak my lord – that Ishvalan girl is not – she seems so monstrous. You can see it in her eyes, can you not? She is dangerous."

Ling tilted his head thoughtfully, thinking through Lan Fan's words of truth. Tauriel was dangerous and you could indeed see it in her eyes, but he could see pain too. When she looked at him, Tauriel had the eyes of something gazing at someone they had been fond of – and lost. However, she could shut off her eyes, it was as though one second they could be filled will emotion and memory and the next they were cold and blank, making a shiver jolt up Ling's spine.

She was interesting, yes.

Dangerous? Most certainly.

But a monster? Tauriel didn't have the eyes of a monster; she had the eyes of a fighter.

"We'll see what happens." Ling finally responded. "If we gain her trust, she'll be very helpful on our quest and if we don't….Well, I suggest we don't think about that." Ling grinned flippantly, as if this situation was a whole joke he'd created himself for his own amusement.

Lan Fan and Fu looked at each other warily.

When they turned back to look at their prince they screamed.

He had ran off.

Again.

"YOUNG LORD?!"

* * *

"Oh! Fancy meeting you here!" Ling cackled madly, slapping his sides frantically as Tauriel's eye twitched, her lips pursed and her body shook in badly concealed anger.

The sight was comically to say the least, Garfiel stifled a giggle at the scene. Tauriel's head snapped in his direction, a growl emitted from her now barred teeth which made Garfield squeal and jump back.

Ling finally stopped his fit of laughter, he cocked his head (a mannerism which, Tauriel inwardly noted, could be stopped if she ripped his head off) to the side, and the silly grin plastered seemingly forever on his thin lips.

"Tauriel! My, what a surprise, aren't the Elric brothers back yet? Oh what a shame! I suppose it's just us two and – "Ling gestured to Garfiel with a nod of his head. " – This fine gentleman!"

"Oh how kind!" The flamboyant man squealed with a shrill voice, his hands coming up to rest on his reddening cheeks. Tauriel gave him a strange look, her eyebrows raised and her mouth open as if it question the man's reaction – she than shook her head and turned back to scowl at Ling.

"What do you want?"

"Some tea would be nice."

"That's it!"

Tauriel jumped up to attack the prince, blinded by childish annoyance she didn't notice Ling side-stepping out of the way at the last second. Tauriel yelped as she hit the ground, Ling could hear what he thought was growling coming from Tauriel – but her face was still plastered on the ground so the Xingese youth could barely make out the sound.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess my reflexes are too fast." Ling laughed joyously.

"You won't dodge this you idiot prince…." Tauriel rumbled as she reached behind her to pull her sword out of the sheath that hung around her waist. She was never the diplomat of the Devil's Nest which was Greed as he could bullshit his way through almost everything. Tauriel got angry too quickly or she simply didn't care and her indifference to matters annoyed quite a few people.

The scene wasn't one of real malevolence, unbeknownst to Tauriel. If the teen had chosen to look hard enough she could have pictured Docletto instead of Ling, she could have heard Greed's laughter ringing in her head and she would have felt Roa's laugh ripple through her and Bido's bright eyes would have pierced the darkness of her (mock) anger.

But she didn't look hard enough,

Perhaps by choice because she knew that's what she would have seen and heard and felt.

Tauriel instead scoffed and tilted her head up, trying to stare down the taller boy.

"I'm waiting for my dear friends! The Elric brothers!"

"They hate you." Tauriel deadpanned.

Ling deflated in a mocking action, the girl curled her lip at Ling's action. All this seemed like a joke to him, she didn't need Ling slowing down the Elric brothers from their trip to Central. Tauriel needed to go to Central and confront Bradley, she needed revenge, to her every moment had to be serious or she'd lose her conviction.

"You're an idiot."

"I remind of you another idiot though, don't I?" It wasn't mocking, Ling's voice was laced with curiosity but it hit Tauriel hard.

She reached into her cardigan, her fingers feeling for a single dagger. In a second or less, Tauriel had a sharp dagger pressed against Ling's pale throat. There was no hesitation in her features (she ignored Garfiel's terrified yelp), no trembling in Tauriel's wrist – Ling knew she'd kill him in blind anger if he pushed enough.

"No, you don't." Tauriel grounded out. "I don't know anyone like that, I've been on my own for years. I don't know anyone." There was a part of her that angrily screeched at her not to forget and not to push the memories back but she couldn't be pulled down, she had to be strong when she slit the throat of the Fuhrer.

Ling put his arms up in surrender, his facial expression annoyingly calm but Tauriel noticed the single bead of sweat that slid slowly down the side of the prince's face and she grinned.

Ling felt the sharp pressure push off his neck. He, as subtly as he could manage, breathed out of mouthful of air he had previously been holding in.

"So," Ling began as he essayed a disarming smile. "How about some tea?"

* * *

Edward Elric couldn't stop the look of shock that filtered onto his face when he walked through the door, he had been tired and he just wanted something to eat and then he wanted to rest but things were rarely so simple in his life. In front of him sitting in a seat at the round table sat Ling fucking Yao, his eyes slits and his smile large and warm. On his right sat Garfiel and on the other side of the older man sat Tauriel. Ed's eyes narrowed at the sight of the Ishvalan, her posture screamed amusement and her eyes darted between Ling and Ed with forced glee.

"Hey," Ling put down his cup of tea and lifted up one hand to wave at Ed. "We meet again!"

Tauriel snorted into her beer (she'd rummaged around the room to find a bottle, once she found one Ling had charmingly offered her a glass but Tauriel's eye twitched and she made intense eye-contact with the annoying prince as she skulled the bottle of beer – her throat burnt but the look on Ling's face had been worth it) as Ed quickly ran at Ling and slapped his upside the head with his now detached Automail arm.

"Why the hell are you here?" Ed fumed with grinding teeth, his hands grabbed at the yellow collar of Ling's opened shirt and shook him angrily.

"Would you believe me if I say I fainted again?"

"IS IT APART OF XING CULTURE TO FAINT AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT?!"

"Well – "

"SHUT IT! AND PAY FOR ALL THE FOOD YOU ATE YOU PIG!"

"Aren't we friends? You bought me that food – "

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A FRIEND?!" Ed raged.

Al stood beside Tauriel, his head hung in shame at his brother's antics while Tauriel took another swig of her beer.

"HOW COULD I TRUST A GUY LIKE YOU WITH THOSE WEIRDO EYES?!"

"HEY I'M SENSITIVE ABOUT THAT!" It was the first time Tauriel had heard Ling raise his voice and she spluttered into her beer bottle again.

"I'M BORN WITH THESE EYES! WHY DO YOU THINK I SMILE ALL THE TIME? IT'D BE CREEPY IF I DIDN'T!"

"You know Ed," Tauriel giggled evilly, "You have some pretty weirdo eyes yourself."

"I'M STILL MAD AT YOU!"

"I'm back!"

Winry's sweet voice stopped Ed dead in his tracks, his angry rampage ceased as he turned to face his childhood friend with dread written all over his now pale face.

Winry's eyes were trained on the bench as she put down supplies and spoke on.

"The main street is fairly noisy, did something – "Winry finally turned her gaze to Ed, her smile froze when she saw Ed staring at her holding his Automail arm in his flesh hand.

"– Happen..."

Winry growled and Ed took a step back.

"Now come on Winry – "

"YOU LITTLE MORON!"

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING LITTLE?!"

"YOU! YOU IDIOTIC KNUCKLE HEAD! YOU COMPLETE DIPSHIT! – "

"I'M SORRY!"

Tauriel sat on the counter as the dark haired girl and Al pocked Ed's groaning and bloody body with sticks, her gaze ventured over to where Ling was flirting with Winry and finally her gaze settled on her own hands.

"I need to go to Central as soon as possible!" Ed complained. "Winry, I need this arm fixed!"

_Central…._

The orphan girl closed her hands, her palms now starting to heal and no longer stinger when pressure was put, she stared down at her bandaged hands and saw them not only as hands but as tools. They were tools in her quest to kill Bradley, she'd torture him, slice his head off, strangle him with her bare hands – She'd make him weep as she had done.

When Tauriel looked up she saw Ling hanging off Ed's leg crying about wanting to go to Central with the trio.

"You ain't going." Ed and Tauriel growled at the same time, they then looked at each other and glared.

"Oh Mi – Tauriel it's so good you are and Ed are getting along!" Al cheered as he moved his body towards the door.

Tauriel and Ed shouted "WHAT" at the top of their lungs as Al continued to speak.

"And Ed! It's so good you have a new friend!" Al gestured to Ling who was still clinging onto Ed's leg.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO RUN AWAY?!" Ed screeched after his brother.

"It looks like us three will be spending a lot of time together!" Chortled Ling as he rounded up Ed and Tauriel and threw his arms around their shoulders.

"GO HOME!" Ed and Tauriel chorused with raised fists.

* * *

***Hey at least Ed and Tauriel agree on one thing, they both think Ling is annoying as hell. **

**We see Tauriel losing her temper horribly with Ling in this chapter, for some reason i really love Tauriel's darker side.***


	10. The Hawk's Eye And The Hero Of Ishval

Finally after some small, fucking annoying events (Lan Fan and Fu finally finding their young lord, Ed transmuting as ugly mask for Lan Fan to make up for breaking her original one during their fight, Lan Fan in turn kicking him in the face, Al then making a mask for the girl and Ling making the angry girl say 'thank you') the group of six set off for Central.

Edward and Winry sat next to each other on the train while Ling sat between Tauriel and Al on the opposite side (Al at the window and Tauriel squashed up against the railing). Ed scowled at Ling as the train drove off, his finally repaired Automail arm twitched.

"We would already be in Central if it wasn't for your two lackeys. We wasted so much freaking time getting my fucking arm repaired."

"Maybe if you didn't break it in the first place that wouldn't have happened." Winry angrily countered.

"Whatever."

Ling laughed loudly as he put his hands up in mock surrender when Ed settled his fiery glare on the Xingese boy again.

"I scolded those two, so don't worry!" Ling put his arm around Tauriel's shoulder and patted her head when he reached his hand up. "This one knows what they are: my bodyguards. The young girl is Lan Fan and the old man is Fu. They're from a family that have served my family for generations."

"They'll have nothing to serve if you don't stop touching me." Tauriel blankly stated.

Ling slowly pulled his arm back with a nervous laugh.

"Why do you need bodyguards?" Ed asked rudely. Glee then spread over his face. "It is because you're too scared? Fancy that! You're a man and you're too scared to cross a little desert!"

"Well I guess it is dangerous for a young teen to travel all alone." Said Ling casually.

"Young teen?" Winry looked shocked.

"How old are you?" Al inquired curiously.

"15."

"Aren't you almost 16?" Winry whispered in Ed's ear.

"Yeah Eddy, aren't you?" Tauriel chuckled darkly, having heard the whisper from Winry.

"Stand up." Ed commanded, he stood up and gestured roughly to Ling to do the same, ignoring Tauriel and her badly contained laughter.

Ling did so and it went as well as you'd expect.

Ling, who was at least a head or taller than Ed, stood with a peaceful look on his face as Ed growled and hit his head against the train seat.

"You…."Ed raised his Automail arm, his finger coming up to point at Ling. "You….YOU UGLY FACE!"

Ling gasped at Ed as Winry, Al and Tauriel spluttered with laughter at Ed's reaction.

A sword came flying down of the ceiling of the moving train, Ed dodged it and fell on the ground on his face. His face pale and his eyes wide as he stuttered uncontrollably.

"Lan Fan….?" Al nervously asked.

"How dare you bad mouth the young lord…."Lan Fan's voice filtered into the compartment.

"IS SHE ON TOP OF THE TRAIN?!" Al screeched. "SO IS OLD MAN FU!"

"ARE THEY OKAY?!" Winry gasped.

"THEY'RE STEALING A FREE RIDE! SECURITY!" Ed exclaim.

"They won't be caught that easily!" Ling laughed joyously.

"IF THEY TRY TO STAB ME I'LL THROW THEM OFF THE TRAIN MYSELF!" Tauriel threatened.

Ling continued to laugh until Tauriel hit him upside the head.

She was then nearly stabbed by Lan Fan, Tauriel in return had to be restrained by Al when she tried to climb up on top of the train to fight the young girl and old man.

* * *

"Tauriel," Winry looked at the Ishvalan girl with a sweet smile when they had all calmed down and sat back in their seats. "Ed told me you were from Dublith, how is – "

"I'm not from Dublith, I've never been there actually." Tauriel answered. There was something in her tone that unnerved Winry, there was a dullness to her eyes that reminded her of Ed when he had just lost his arm and leg, when he had no hope and there was just sadness and dull anger.

"I met Edward and Alphonse in the next town, I'd been travelling for years and I hadn't been to Central in a while so I figured I'd come along." Tauriel sent a forced smile Ed's way, hidden behind the smile was the Ishavlan girl telling Ed to shut his mouth and play along.

"…Yeah." Ed finally agreed, his hands clenched but he managed a smile.

Tauriel had begun to make a new identity for herself. Once she'd killed the Fuhrer she would run to a new land, she'd change her name and start again. If her heart didn't still ache she'd had forgotten the Devil's Nest gang already. She had forced herself to forget her parents – which hadn't been hard but difficult for a young child to do – but she couldn't seem to shake her life in Dublith, she had laughed for too much and smiled too often to forget so easily. But still, she endeavoured to try and to succeed because she didn't want to feel that ache in her chest for the remainder of her life.

Al didn't say anything, his thoughts drifted to memories he had in his brief stay at Devil's Nest. He remembered the way Tauriel looked at Greed with eyes that practically shouted _"I would do anything for you, I would give up my life to save yours"_, at first Al had wondered if Greed would have done the same thing but remembering how angry Greed had been fighting Bradley, how horrified he seemed at the deaths of his friends…Al knew Greed would have died to save what was his. And he did in a way, his last dying words were directed to Alphonse asking him to look after Tauriel. Now Al didn't know why Greed had said that because from all Al had seen so far, Tauriel could look after herself just fine.

But still,

He had promised Martel, Docletto and Roa the same thing.

So many people counted on him to protect the young Ishvalan girl, he couldn't just ignore their wishes.

Winry stuttered, looked at Ed then looked back at Tauriel before coughing, regaining her composure and throwing the girl a smile.

"Ed's known for getting his facts wrong." Laughed the blonde mechanic as she slapped the side of Ed's head.

"That he is." Tauriel replied coldly.

Edward could only sigh and wonder what he had gotten himself into.

* * *

"FINALLY!" Tauriel shouted, she stretched her arms above her head as she hopped off the train, her legs shined under the beams of the sun, the metal reflecting into Ed's eyes as she kicked her legs up.

"Oi! Watch it!"

"Oops."

Ed's eye twitched at her unapologetic tone.

"Anyway," Ed muttered. "Let's first go check out the headquarters, Hughes should be around there somewhere. We can visit him!"

"Sounds like a plan!" Winry agreed happily picturing the man's smiling face.

"I wonder if he's still trying to find information on the Philosopher's Stone…." Al wondered.

"Dunno, the Fuhrer is keeping eyes on 'im though…" Ed stated.

At the mention of Bradley Tauriel's blood ran cold but she shook it off.

"The Military Is helping you find the Stone?" It was a shock to say the least, why would the Military help two teenagers find something that powerful?

"Well….Not really." Al laughed nervously. "Lt. Colonel Hughes is a good friend of ours though."

"HEY!" Fu's voice shouted, the two Xingese bodyguards came running up behind the group of four with horrified expressions.

"Where's the young Master? I thought he was with you the whole time."

Silence took over the group as Winry looked left, Ed looked right, Al looked above them and Tauriel looked on the ground.

"Not here." They all stated.

Fu and Lan Fan seemed to deflate like balloons, they fell to the ground muttering "not again", and a depressing aura surrounded the two as onlookers stared.

"Too bad so sad. Let's go find your Hughes friend." Tauriel turned on her feet, Ed right on her heel, as she walked away from the scene with amazing indifference.

* * *

When they reached Central Headquarters Ed stopped as he saw a young blonde woman handing a file to someone. The woman was wearing a Military uniform, her face was sharp but sweet, her eyes were beautiful but they held the look of a murderer – Tauriel noticed that as soon as she laid eyes on the comely woman who looked about in her mid to late 20's.

Tauriel clenched her hands, her back was tense and her eyes hard as she watched the Military officers walk about. Their gaze landed on her from time to time and they froze or they sneered or they pretended not to see her and move on.

"Lt. Hawkeye! What are you doing here?" Ed exclaimed.

"Oh," Lt. Hawkeye turned and politely smiled at the group. "Edward and Alphonse, how have you two been?"

"Same old same old." Replied Ed.

"So, shit." Muttered Tauriel under her breath.

Ed stomped on her foot with his flesh foot, yelping in pain he stepped back.

"You're that lady…" Winry's face was clouded with memories trying to re-surface.

"And you're that young girl from Resembool." Hawkeye smiled.

"Yeah! It's Winry."

"My, you've grown up to be so beautiful." Gushed the Lt. with a hand to her cheek.

"Miss Riza you've grown your hair so long!" Winry gushed back.

Tauriel was still snickering at Ed's pain and Hawkeye looked passed Winry to see what the older Elric brother was groaning about. Her eyes darted across brown skin, white hair, her hawk like eyes took in the two Automail legs, the one glass eye and the scars that surrounded her face and her neck.

"I'm afraid we haven't met before, Miss…?" Hawkeye regained her calm to smile at the Ishavlan

"Tauriel." The girl replied with bitterness, her voice was cruel and cold. "I do know who you are though."

Riza Hawkeye prided herself on her composure but in that moment her façade crumbled, her face fell and her arms hung limply by her side as the war flashed before her eyes.

Tauriel knew that was what the Lt. was picturing because she had seen that very same look in Docletto, Roa and Martel's eyes – even her own eyes. Guilt bubbled inside her and before Tauriel could register what she was doing the girl stepped forward and out stretched her hand.

"The Elric brothers have spoken of you, so you're the famed Lt. Hawkeye they've gushed about."

Something in Tauriel's tone made it clear to Riza she was lying and the look Ed threw the Ishvalan proved the sniper right. The usually cold and clouded eyes of the Lt. softened, she offered the young girl a smile and shook her hand firmly, the press of brown skin against white reminded Riza of the child she had buried once, at the end of the war. So she gripped the hand tighter as if to be sure it was real and not a cruel nightmare that would end in blood and screams.

"Wait!" Ed suddenly yelped. "If you're here then that means – "

The loud engine of a car froze Ed, his eyes bugged out of his head then he narrowed his them, his teeth seemed to turn into fangs as he practically hissed at the man stepping out of the fancy car.

"Hey, Fullmetal." The deep, laid-back voice greeted lazily.

Tauriel slowly pulled her hand from Hawkeye's grip as she took in the man, her eyes raking his body and face to get an idea of why Ed suddenly seemed to turn into a sulking child.

The man had pitch black hair – just like Ling's – the fringe flopped over his eyes slightly which gave off a 'cool' edge to his overall button-upped look. He was handsome – that was something so obvious, his clean-shaven baby face and sharp cheekbones, small nose and symmetrical features was appealing to anyone. Truly a conventional beauty, Tauriel thought – and he gave off an air of superiority, his eyes seemed to glint with knowledge that no one knew. His eyes were quite like Ling's too, sharp and the same blackness were held in them as when Ling opened his eyes but something swirled in the pools of black that Ling didn't possess. It was that murderous look again, just like Hawkeye had.

_Ah, _Though Tauriel _so this this Colonel Roy Mustang….The Flame Alchemist and Hero of Ishval. _

"What are you doing here?" Ed seethed out.

"I was transferred to Central a few days ago," grinned Roy, "What? Aren't you happy to see me?"

"I couldn't imagine why he wouldn't be," Tauriel's voice caught Mustang's attention. His black eyes found the red eye of the grinning Ishvalan girl as soon as he turned to his side. "Now, now Eddy-boy don't act like a child in front of the Hero of Ishval."

Mustang, just as Tauriel had done, took in the girl with his eyes.

She was strewn with scars and burns (Roy could only think they were his doing but dear readers know this, it wasn't but still his guilty heart and scarred soul wouldn't have believed that), her glass eye was circled with a large burn scar and Roy had turn move his eyes away. He could taste ash and smell burnt flesh, he felt hot as if his own skin was burning.

"Who is this pretty girl you've got with you, Fullmetal?" Laughed Roy with forced glee, he didn't want to close his eyes as he knew he'd just see dead, burnt bodies. "You're lucky! Being surrounded by two beautiful girls!"

Ed, who had been staring at Tauriel ready to pull her back if she decided she's attack the Flame Alchemist, whipped his head to growl at Mustang comically. He slapped a hand to his forehead and sent Mustang an embarrassed glare.

"Shut it, Colonel Bastard." Sniffed Ed childishly, he crossed his arms and shifted his weight from foot to foot. "And that's Tauriel." Pointing a finger at said girl who still had a cruel grin pulling at her lips.

Roy smiled.

And it wasn't forced, Tauriel noticed.

It was just sad.

It held years of pain and regret, years of guilt and memories that kept the man awake at night as it had done Docletto who often woke the Ishvalan up with his screams of terror in the night.

It wasn't a pity smile,

It was apologetic and oh so _human_.

Tauriel had to look away because she didn't want to consider the man a human, she wanted to hate him and to wish death and pain on him because he was a _monster _with no _feelings_.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Mustang asked turning back to look at Ed and Al.

"We're here to gather more information." Answered Al politely.

"We wanna look up stuff about the Stone and Homunculus." Added Ed still keeping an eye on Tauriel whose grin discouraged the small Alchemist.

"Homunculus? Gimme a break." Deadpanned Mustang with an annoyed sigh, he didn't sound like an annoyed commanding officer but an annoyed father who had told his son 'no' too many times. "How the hell do you expect to find information about that from a Military that restricts human transmutation?"

"Is that so?" Tauriel muttered remembering the times Martel, Roa and Docletto had re-told their stories of the Military's experiments on them. She then shook her head and jogged to walk next to Winry.

"Oh yeah, one more thing!" Ed smiled; beautiful and radiant and full of life, life Tauriel hadn't seen in a long time. Tauriel hadn't seen a smile that happy on the older brother's lips before. "We wanted to say hi to Hughes, how is he?"

Mustang's shoulders tensed and he repressed a flinch, his chest ached as the smiling face of his best friend flashed before his black eyes.

Tauriel noticed the way Mustang's back now stood straight instead of the comfortable slouch, she saw the way his eyes narrowed and darkened.

He looked so beautiful standing there, so brokenly beautiful.

"He's not here."

Hawkeye closed her eyes, her mouth twisted as she stopped herself from walking closer to Mustang to make her presence known to him, to tell him all was well and he needed not worry about the future and his pain but she stood still, waiting beside her Colonel like she'd done for years.

"He went to live in the country…There's been a few disturbances in Central and Hughes took his kid and his wife to the countryside….I've head he's taking over a family business."

Oh how it pained Roy to simply write Elicia off as the 'kid' and Gracia off as the wife. The two girls had become his own family as they became Maes', Elicia had taken to calling the man 'uncle Roy' – something that always made Maes smile and Roy himself blush. Gracia had always loved Roy, he was her true love's best friend, his brother. To her Roy was a dearly loved friend, she cared for him like no one had cared for him in quite a long time.

Roy Mustang had never had a close family, never in all his years he never truly felt 'at home' but sitting there with Maes, Gracia and Elicia in their dining room, their laughter filling his ears and their smiling faces overtaking all he saw – well Roy was sure that was as close he'd ever gotten to having family.

"Oh…" Ed's tone pulled Mustang out of his thoughts. "That's too bad….But good on him I guess."

"The military is dangerous work." Al nodded, he would have looked sad if he could.

"Aw," Winry pouted. "I wanted to see him and his family."

"Which countryside?" Tauriel couldn't stop herself from asking, her voice came out equal parts curious and humour laced – the look of desperation Hawkeye threw her way pulled at the Ishvalan's heart until, once again, she had to look away.

"So the Stone and Homunculus, right?" Mustang asked. His voice was calm and sturdy, he acted as if the dark-skinned girl's question hadn't shaken him to his very core. He hid it well, he had learnt from the best. Before his war days and his military career Roy had to learn to hide weakness and develop a poker face that could fool anyway. He was a Mustang after all, they were raised to be sneaky and cunning, to hide their emotions as to never be compromised.

"I'll contact you boys if I find anything."

Al nodded while Ed placed his hands on his hips staring at Mustang with an annoyed gaze.

"Let's go Lieutenant." Mustang ordered.

"Yes sir." Hawkeye saluted.

The pair walked ahead, leaving the group of four behind them.

Mustang halted, turned his head to the side slightly as if he was going to look back, then then turned back and put his hands in his pockets.

"Fullmetal," He called gaining Edward's attention. "Don't go jumping to conclusions and getting yourself in trouble."

The younger Alchemist looked taken back, heat rose to his cheeks in embarrassment at the concern his usually sarcastic commander threw his way in a simple passing comment. The blonde boy shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded, upon realising Mustang couldn't actually see this action, he coughed.

"Sure…Whatever." Ed reluctantly said.

Tauriel stared at Mustang and Hawkeye's retreating backs.

In her mind she saw the white of their war uniform but before her eyes Tauriel only saw two people who were hiding far too much pain, they reminded her of the patrons of Devil's Nest. The way they hid their hardships, concealed their grief and moved ahead with their shoulders tense and narrow and their heads forced high.

Tauriel could smell burning flesh and she saw, in her vivid mind, bodies falling but right before her eyes Tauriel could only see the sidewalks of Central.

She wanted to see monsters and to hate, she wanted to shot the hero of Ishavl and scream and yell, she wanted to cause pain and anguish; she wanted despair to fill his eyes like they had done hers during the war.

But Tauriel then felt a tug at her sleeve, she turned to see Winry smiling at her with that beautiful, kind smile and the young teen smiled slightly and followed the blonde.

* * *

***Finally Roy shows up! I love Roy, he's just amazing and wow he's just FREAKING GREAT! As I will do with Ling I will write about Roy's past, his family and life with Madame Christmas - It'll all be my personal headcanons so if you disagree with me just send me a message and I'll try to change it!**

**Turiel's finding it slightly hard to hate the military, with Devil's Nest she only saw soldiers as monsters with no hearts but seeing Mustang and Hawkeye showing such human emotions is making it hard for her to mindlessly hate them***


	11. The Innocent

Tauriel lied on the couch opposite Edward. He said up-right reading through files on human transmutation.

After an hour or so Ed shut his book and looked at the girl from the corner of his eye, he sighed and placed the book on the table in front of him.

"I don't trust you." Ed stated bluntly.

Tauriel raised an eyebrow but didn't look at the shorter boy.

"And I know you don't trust me." The Alchemist continued. "But I need to know I can rely on you if we get into trouble. Back in Rush Valley you left me and Al to fight Fu and Lan Fan….I think you knew they weren't going to kill us but still – "

"You haven't done anything to gain my trust, in battle or in any sense – "

"And you haven't done anything to gain our trust either!" Ed stood up, his hands clenched by his side. "I know you only came with us to kill Bradley, or to torture him or whatever your twisted mind can come up with – I won't let you get in the way of me getting Al's body back just because you want revenge!"

"You idiot child – "

"Revenge isn't everything you idiot!" Ed growled.

"WHAT ELSE DO I HAVE BUT REVENGE?!" Tauriel jumped up finally facing Edward. His eyes softened at the pain he saw in her one flesh eye, his hands stayed clench and his body was still ready to attack. "I have – I have nothing – "Tauriel's voice broke. "I don't have anything left. I – I don't want to move on I – I can't just yet. I _need _revenge."

Edward stepped closer to the Ishvalan, his expression wary but soft in a way. His eyes still shone with mistrust but his shoulders had dropped and his angry snarl fell when he saw the raw emotion spilling off the Ishvalan girl.

"BROTHER!" Al's shrill voice called.

Ed and Tauriel jumped away from each other to stare at the armour that came running into the room, Newspaper in hand.

"Don't scare me Al…" Ed muttered as Tauriel kept her head down.

"The head-lines….Brother the head-line on this newspaper I – Oh God this….."

Ed stomped over to his brother and took the paper out of his shaking hands. His eyes only had to skim over the paper for a second.

Tauriel had never seen Edward so pained, so horrified and so horribly sad before as she heard his voice cracked while he tried to read out the head-line.

"2nd Lt. Maria Ross….Convicted as the – the…as the MURDERER OF BRIGADIER GENERAL _**MAES HUGHES**_?!"

Edward's eyes were wide and pained, Tauriel expected him to drop to the ground any second to have a breakdown but he only yelled.

The grief stricken yell pierced Tauriel's ears and this time, she wasn't reminded of Ishval. In another life – before Devil's Nest – she'd have pictured the screams of the children that died around her at all times of day but this time, Tauriel heard herself screaming. She saw the damp, dark sewers and she saw Greed, Docletto and Roa hit the ground – fuck, she heard Martel screaming and she heard herself screaming until her throat tasted of blood. The wounds on the girl's stomach ached as she brushed past Edward, hitting his shoulder on the way.

"Where are you going?!"

Tauriel ignored Edward and ran out the door.

"Tauriel? Are you okay?" Winry's kind and concerned voice broke Tauriel out of her thoughts for a split second, she turned and gazed at the mechanic with panicked eyes.

"I have to go." Was all the dark-skinned girl could muster, she turned on her heel and kept running.

* * *

When Tauriel finally felt herself regain all her senses she had to look around, she didn't know where her panicked state had taken her. She stood at a gate that stood in front of a tall, large building with two military officers guarding the door. Tauriel thought for a second, she then sighed – it was where that Ross lady was being held. Why had she ran here? Something pulled her towards it, Tauriel could feel it.

Docletto had always taught Tauriel to follow her senses, her gut feeling.

So, she walked on.

Through those gates until she stood at the front of the steps staring at the military officers blankly.

The officers began yelling at her, she ignored the men and continued to walk towards the door. She knocked the men out as they ran at her, guns raised and snarls in place. She dragged their unconscious bodies inside and threw them against the wall before she continued to walk around.

Tauriel found herself in the room where they seemed to keep the evidence.

"What?" Tauriel mumbled when she came across the sword Ling usually had strapped to his back. She picked it up and the white bandaging slid off, it shone and Tauriel smiled at the danger it possessed.

"Of course," Tauriel sighed with an annoyed huff as her eyes scanned the weapon curiously. "Of fucking course Ling managed to get himself arrested."

Tauriel walked past the other confiscated weapons, her hands running over Ling's blade absently.

When the girl found the door leading out of the room she came face to face with a suit of armour much like Al's – as she in Tauriel could sense a faint aura of life in the otherwise hollow and dead armour. It was a bulking thing, large and intimidating it towered over the young teen with evil glee shining through its soulless eyes.

"Oh! Tauriel, how nice to see you again!"

Tauriel looked past the armour, leaning her head to the side to find the person that fit that familiar and annoying voice.

Ling.

Her expression dropped comically when her eyes found Ling's dopy smiling face.

"You know him Missy?" The armour asked.

"Unfortunately…." Tauriel muttered with her eye twitching.

Ling pouted and he looked amazingly like a small child.

"Listen you two!" The armour shouted. "I'm here on a mission from Mustang! So move – "

"Roy Mustang?" Why could the Colonel of the Military ask a soul trapped suit of armour to carry out mission for him?

"I told you!" Ling whined. "I can help you! Me and Tauriel both!"

"Who are you?" Tauriel ignored Ling's cries, she stepped closer to the armour and stared into his soulless eyes.

"BARRY THE CHOPPER!" It screamed with an evil laugh, the armour wheezed with breathless chuckles. "THE INFAMOUS MURDERER!"

"I know who you are." Tauriel deadpanned. "I used to be a part of the Devil's Nest; The Beasts of Dublith."

Barry stepped back, his back now straight and his gaze wary.

"You used to work for that madman Greed?"

"I was his right hand man."

Barry nodded, now seemingly intrigued with the new turn of events. He turned slightly and nodded at Ling – who had been watching Tauriel closely, his eyelids lifted to gaze at the girl curiously as he processed the new information. So she had lived in Dublith, why did she lie to Winry? And who, Ling wondered, was 'Greed'? Yes, this Ishvalan girl was proving to be quite interesting.

"Where did you say you were from again?"

Ling smiled and angled his face to where Barry was, his eyes closed like always and his shoulders relaxed.

"I'm from Xing, of the East."

Tauriel could feel a grin curling its way onto Barry the Chopper's very soul. It created shivers that ran through her entire body; that feeling reminded her of the feeling she got when Greed had a plan, she would feel shivers down her spine and her head spin from anticipation.

_Finally, _Tauriel could feel a grin on her own full lips appearing. _Things are moving along and getting interesting._

Barry slashed the bars of Ling's cell, he skipped out happily and his eyes landed, once again, on Tauriel. He grinned and crossed his arms.

"What brings you here?" The Xingese prince asked.

"Not you," Deadpanned the girl. "If that's what you're trying to insinuate."

Ling pouted again, his eyes opened slightly and he gasped, clasping his hands together with a smile.

"My Dao!"

Tauriel lifted Ling's sword up, twisting her wrist to flex the weapon.

"You want this back?" Tauriel asked in mock innocence. She laughed loudly, turning her back on Ling with a grin. "Well, too bad."

Ling cried in despair, his arms flailing as Barry lead the two out of the room.

* * *

"Who does Mustang want to break out of prison?" Tauriel asked as she jogged easily alongside Ling and Barry.

"Maria Ross." The suit of armour answered with hysterical laughter.

_Maria Ross?! The woman who….Who killed the Elric's friend?_

"Why would Mustang want to break a murderer out of prison?" Tauriel went on to ask.

The girl's question was only answered with more hysterical laughter on the chopper's side.

"Okay….Whatever…" Tauriel muttered.

Ling chuckled beside her, which stopped when the Ishvalan sent a death-glare his way.

"You two wait by the door," Barry instructed.

Tauriel pulled Ling back as he tried to follow the armour anyway. She had half a mind to let him follow the man but something made her arm snap out and pull the boy back.

"Idiot."

Ling and Tauriel watched as the chopper approached a young woman in a holding cell. She was a plain beauty, simple face and piercing eyes with a mole on her left cheek.

"_**HELLO HONEY!" **_Barry chortled in a high pitched tone. _**"FINALLY FOUND YOU!"**_

"Way to creep a girl out." Tauriel sighed, face-palming with her flesh eye twitching.

"It's for dramatic effect." Suggested Ling.

Tauriel walked up behind Barry, pulling him back by the hair on his helmet with a tight grip.

"Take a step back you fucking creep."

Tauriel looked at Maria Ross, tilted her head and leant on her hip.

"So…You're the person who murdered that Hughes guy – "

"I DIDN'T DO THAT!" She screeched, her throat tight and her voice tired and pained.

"I know that now." Tauriel shook her head. "All my life I've been around killers, but you don't have the eyes of a murderer. I don't know what Mustang is planning – I just met the man a few hours ago – but if he intends to rescue you then I'll help him just this once. I can't let an innocent person get killed."

Maria Ross gaped at the young girl, the look of pure determination reminded her so much of Edward. This young girl was so sure and steadfast, her tone so unwavering it gave the officer strength to stand and walk out of the cell in which Barry had broken open for her.

"They think you killed him." Tauriel continued. "It's all over the paper."

Lt. Ross felt tears swell up in her eyes, she dropped her head and clenched her hands so hard her nails pierced her skin.

"Mustang wants to save you. I don't know why but as far as I can see, you have two options. Stay here and get killed, or escape with us."

"I – I need time to think." Maria Ross placed her hand on her head and leant against the wall, she willed the tears in her eyes not to fall. She couldn't show weakness, not now.

"No time for that." Ling cheerfully added. "The military is here."

"Uh," Barry thoughtfully added on. "I guess if you don't go, then I'll have to chop you up."

"YOU'RE NOT EVEN GIVING ME A CHOICE, ARE YOU?!" Lt. Ross shrieked, she threw her arms up. Her face then hardened, Ross' eyes narrowed and she marched out of the cell fully into the corridor.

"Escape! I'll escape with you three! But, you better escort me properly or so help me God!"

"I love that attitude!" Barry giggled evilly.

"Nice choice." Tauriel commented.

"A woman has to be brave!" The 2nd lieutenant bellowed.

The grin Tauriel sent the dark haired woman's way reminded her even more of Edward Elric.

* * *

"You – do you know the Elric brothers?" Maria Ross asked as she jogged beside Tauriel who still had Ling's Dao in her hand – Ling was staring at it tearfully.

Tauriel tightened her hands, she thought back to the fight she had with Ed before she left. She also thought of Al, how she hadn't even spoken to him much after they argued back in Dublith about the promise he had made to Greed.

She wasn't their friend.

Not even an ally really.

She had just tagged along for revenge, she didn't want to be friends with them. She wanted to cause herself pain, to remind herself to feel and to be.

"Yeah I – I know them. They're in Central." Was all she could muster up as an answer.

* * *

***Ed and Tauriel are just the best. Tell me what you think of their relationship and interactions!***


	12. Lost Trust And New Bonds

"Where are we even running to?!" Maria huffed out, clearly out of breath due to shock.

"JUST RUN!" Barry cried. "HURRY!"

"Overdramatic tin-can…." Tauriel groused under her breath, her legs picked up speed easily. Ling ran beside her with ease, like he'd ran this route and done this thousands of times before.

Despite his personality, Tauriel realised, he was strong – dangerous even.

Barry slid to a halt as the runaway group rounded the corner, Tauriel dug her metal heels into the ground to stop herself from falling over as Maria panted. Ling stayed slightly back, standing behind Tauriel a little and he surveyed the situations.

Tauriel couldn't bring herself to look at Edward and Alphonse Elric.

"LT. ROSS!?" Ed hollered, his eyes still looked as pained as they had when Tauriel left the hotel.

Alphonse seemed to make eye-contact with Barry, Barry himself pointed a large armoured finger at the younger Alchemist and yelled some-sort of nonsense as Al pointed back.

"YOU'RE THAT GUY FROM THAT TIME!" Al yelped reminding everyone in the group he was only a child.

"YOU KNOW EACH OTHER?!" Ed squawked at his younger brother.

Al finally caught sight of Tauriel who had been standing next in a daze of confusion and annoyance watching the scene unfold.

"TAURIEL?!"

Al then turned his head to the side and screamed again, finally seeing Ling who now had his hand up in a small wave.

"Hi…" The prince tried to greet sweetly.

Edward snarled his eyes locking on Tauriel's as he stepped forward menacingly, a hint of betrayal laced his strong features for reasons Tauriel didn't and couldn't know or understand.

"WHAT ARE _**YOU **_DOING HERE?!"

Tauriel loured angrily.

"THAT'S MY LINE SHORTY!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY? WHO'RE CALLING SO SHORT THEY COULDN'T BEEN SEEN IF YOU WERE STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM?!"

Maria Ross goggled at the scene, she watched Edward and the Ishvalan girl – whose name she now knew was 'Tauriel' – scream at each with a wide-eyed gaze of confusion, odd fondness and complete shock.

"I don't have time for this!" Barry instantaneously screeched irritably, he pushed Al out of his way and strode ahead now standing in front of Ross.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

Alphonse squeaked in surprise and took a shocked step back.

"Lt. Ross I – What's going on?! – Did you really – "

"Don't bother kid!" Barry interrupted Ed harshly, he held his cleaver in front of him and stared at the boy threateningly.

"Missy, run straight to the warehouse cluster down the alley! You can get away in the darkness there!" Barry advised.

Maria couldn't stop looking at Ed trying desperately to explain everything through only her eyes, but Ed's gold eyes were panicked and strained as if he was going to break down any second. She couldn't get his eyes straight and clear enough for him to read even a little of what she wanted to say.

Tauriel saw the guilty and desperate look on the officer's face, she had half a mind to leave the scene right away – to allow the woman to waste her time, the 2nd Lt. would then be killed by the approaching military soldiers and Tauriel could be gone from Central before they buried her body. Tauriel decided she should hate the military, why shouldn't she? They took everything away from her not once but twice. But still, she couldn't let an innocent woman get killed not when she probably had loved ones waiting for her.

So Tauriel stepped forward, grabbed Ross' shoulder and spoke.

"IDIOT! Don't get distracted you fool! You'll be killed if you don't leave now! More military soldiers are coming our way and fast, you need to leave! You have people wanting you alive, don't you? People waiting to see you again, people you love?"

Maria shifted her gaze to the young Ishvalan, the former military officer took in the girl's automail and scars – like most did when they glimpsed the girl – and the tears finally fell.

The woman nodded, whipped her tears away and nodded again – this time with determination and conviction, Tauriel could see it in her eyes.

"Wait! – "Edward reached out, his voice strained like his eyes, after Maria who had begun running to the warehouses.

"I'm so sorry Edward!" Maria called back, genuine sadness and regret filled her voice. "I'll explain later!"

Edward and Al tried to run after the woman but Barry flung his cleaver around madly like a lunatic, his voice shrill and high-pitched.

"THERE'S NO WAY YOU'RE COMING THROUGH!"

"You little…." Ed muttered.

Tauriel sensed it before the group heard it. She sensed the burning and the advanced alchemy, the Ishvalan could smell burning flesh and she felt the socket of her automail eye burn. The girl turned her back to the cluster of building, she placed her hands over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut until she saw stars and sand and blood and limbs and laughing soldiers and alchemists destroying her people with a simple clap of their hands. Her legs gave out and she fell to her knees. She could smell the alchemy but she couldn't sense the alchemy hitting a body, Tauriel only felt the flames thin out spreading around nothingness until it disappeared.

"Tauriel?" Ling's voice didn't break through her flashback – in fact Ling's voice sounded a lot like Docletto in her mind.

"Let's leave!" She sprung up, Tauriel stumbled on her feet. She didn't see Ling's hands spread out in front of him, ready to catch the girl if she was to fall again.

"YOU'RE GOING WITH HIM?!" Tauriel heard Edward shout.

"Brother…."

"I KNEW I COULDN'T TRUST YOU!"

"SHUT UP YOU CHILDISH BRAT!"

Tauriel's voice sounded foreign to her own ears, the disdain and cruelty wasn't what she wanted to become.

She heard Ed and Al's footsteps disappear into the distance while she, Barry and Ling took off in the other direction.

* * *

Tauriel lead the group, jumping on building after building till she caught a glimpse of blonde hair.

She heard Barry sigh behind her.

"Shit, don't think the Colonel expected the runt to show up."

"What now?" Ling asked.

"Too many people are gathering quickly." Observed the chopper. "We got no choice but to scram."

"Then let's go." Tauriel said, she turned her head to look at the two behind her.

"Missy I just love that cold look in your eye." Barry commented with a leering tone. "I could just chop you up."

"You say that like it's a compliment." Ling joked. The Xingese prince chuckled but his eyes were open ever so slightly to look at Tauriel – her one flesh eye was indeed cold but there was something else. The red orb was laced with past pains and memories of a time Ling was glad he didn't see.

Barry took off, jumping to another building. He didn't tell the two teens to follow but they did, they ran behind him. Tauriel looking ahead coolly and Ling looking at her curiously.

"Xing don't really meddle with other countries." Ling casually stated. "We don't talk of other countries and their business but it's hard not to hear about the horrors of Ishval. As soon as I stepped into Amestris….The talk of the war spread to my ears. The disgust some people showed toward Ishvalans – "

"What's the point of you telling me this Ling?"

Ling smiled slightly, his clenched and un-clenched his hands and ran faster to catch up to Tauriel who had shot ahead of him.

"When that explosion accrued you saw it, didn't you? The war?" Tauriel didn't answer, Ling insisted to continue….A decision he knew probably wasn't the best but he wanted to see how Tauriel would react.

"I've heard they used Alchemists as the front force of the war and that explosion came from that man's Alchemy, the one is the alley with Ed, right? He looks old enough to have been a part of the war but still young enough to have many years ahead to feel sadness – "

"Do not talk to me of the sadness soldiers felt during the war of extermination of my people. Do not talk to me of the youth the Flame Alchemist lost. How dare you lecture me on the war, how dare you assume you know anything of the hatred that is flung towards my skin, my hair and my eye. _**Eye **_because they bloody war took away my right eye, my legs and my – "Tauriel stopped herself from mentioning her family, she couldn't let that thought bring that up again, she had to forget that about her past.

_Her family…._Ling could only guess. But that didn't make sense, if Tauriel had lost her family so young why did she have such a caring nature? Ling had seen first-hand how caring the girl could be, seeing Tauriel with Maria Ross showed him that. Usually, Ling thought, when people didn't have anyone looking after them they didn't know how to look after people themselves.

Ling choose not to speak after that, one part because Tauriel and ran forward and was now running alongside Barry and two, because Ling had frozen at the look in Tauriel's eye. Her tone was cold but her gaze were broken. The prince never wanted to see such a broken look again. Not on Tauriel's face or on anyone's face.

It was then without his knowledge Ling slowed down, he fell behind gradually as he thought of Xing and his father who would be laughing at him now….He was at a dead end, nowhere closer to finder the Philosopher's Stone, nowhere closer to gaining Tauriel or the Elric brother's trust. He was at a loss like he always seemed to be in his father's eyes.

"Hey idiot prince,"

Ling lifted his head out of his deep thoughts, his eyes squinted but staring curiously and shocked at Tauriel who had stopped just ahead of him, arms crossed and eyes annoyed and completely unapologetic – something Ling had come to admire about the girl.

"Hurry up. The tin-can refuses to leave without you – apparently you got 'connections' Mustang will want – So, hurry it up."

Ling stared at Tauriel, he had halted on his distracted run across the buildings to stand in front of the Ishvalan teen.

Tauriel sighed, she lifted Ling's sword up and threw it at him. The prince's fast reflexes caught the Dao as soon as it became within arms distance.

"The tin-can said the guy he's hidin' with has some food. I figured we should stuff some food in you before you faint and I get stabbed by Lan Fan."

The faint embarrassed tint to Tauriel's cheeks caused Ling's face to heat up in a way he hadn't expected.

Ling wasn't let out much in Xing, he had to be taught in the palace. Fu taught his skills in fighting while other tutors taught him other skills but Ling had been naturally intelligent. He'd only been interested in stories and fighting – but enough of that; Ling had never seen much people. He'd been around Lan Fan and Fu all his life, his brothers, his father, women who'd he'd been suggested to marry. But never anybody like Tauriel, who was both cruel and kind, cold and caring, beautiful and frightening. Never had Ling heard a voice so full of emotion and body marred with stories which Ling had always loved.

He wanted to find out all he could about Tauriel.

But for now Ling could deal with her insulting him and occasionally feeling bad for it.

"I guess we're a team now." Ling grinned.

"I hate you." Deadpanned Tauriel – her favourite expression Ling noticed – she turned on her heel and stalked away.

Ling pranced over to the next building, following her with a laugh.

Tauriel's eye twitched, her hands itched to have the Dao back but she suddenly felt back in Devil's Nest, back with Docletto and having one of their daily arguments.

It seemed no matter how hard Tauriel tried, she simply couldn't erase the Devil's Nest from her mind.

* * *

***Is Ling developing a little crush on my little oc? Or is he just curious about the unknown? Tauriel is filled with things he's interested in, knowledge and stories and power. But who knows, maybe he reminds her a bit too much of Greed? Will Ling ever be just Ling in her mind? Or will he serve as a constant reminder of the Devil's Nest? **

**I really liked writing this chapter, how did you guys like it?***


End file.
